Suspension of 99 UNP members: decision on injunction on June 22
June 16, 2020 04:22 pm
The Colombo District Court will be passing the decision on whether or not to issue an injunction on the United National Party (UNP) decision to suspend the party membership of 99 members on June 22, stated Ada Derana reporter.
The complaint filed by the former parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara was taken up for consideration today (16) for the second day.
President’s Counsel Donald Perera, representing defendant Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, claimed that the plaintiff has made a grave legal error by not naming the members of the UNP Working Committee as defendants.
As the party memberships had been suspended by the Working Committee, the injunction order also should be imposed against the Working Committee, he pointed out.
The President’s Counsel stated that the point made by the plaintiff that the UNP Working Committee gave its approval to establish Samagi Jana Balawegaya is completely false.
Stating that the UNP Working Committee had not permitted to establish the alliance, the relevant members cannot be deemed as UNP members as they had submitted nominations for the general election under a different party, said the President’s Counsel.
He said that if the injunction order requested by the plaintiff is granted, there is a risk of them imposing as UNP member to garner voter support and requested the court not to grant an injunction order on the decision of the UNP.
Considering the submissions, Colombo District Judge Amali Ranaweera stated that the relevant court decision will be declared on June 22.
On May 29, the UNP Working Committee canceled the membership of 99 members including several top-brass members, who had handed over nominations from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
The General Secretary of the party Akila Viraj Kariyawasam stated that the party’s constitution deems that if any member is to submit nominations from another political party, they should seek the approval of the Working Committee before proceeding with their conduct. However, none of the members in question had obtained prior approval in writing, he said.
Former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is among the members whose party membership is to be suspended.
The others include Kabir Hashim, Lakshman Kiriella, Gayantha Karunatileka, Mangala Samaraweera, Thalatha Atukorale, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Harin Fernando, Ajith P. Perera, Nalin Bandara, Dr, Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, S.M. Marikkar, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Mujibur Rahuman, Ajith Mannapperuma, Harshana Rajakaruna, Kavinda Jayawardana, Ranjan Ramanayake, Ranjith Aluwihare, Wasantha Aluwihare, Rohini Kaviratne, Wijepala Hettiarachchi, Bandula Lal Bandarigoda, Buddhika Pathirana, Dilip Wedarachchi, Thushara Indunil, Ashok Abeysinghe, Hector Appuhamy, Niroshan Perera, Chandima Gamage, Chandrani Bandara, Ravindra Samaraweera, Chaminda Wijesiri, Hesha Withanage, Mayantha Dissanayake, Hirunika Premachandra and Abdul Haleem.
