MR’s third-term bid SC Opinion controversial – Lawyers

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MR’s third-term bid SC Opinion controversial – Lawyers

BY Ruwan Laknath  Jayakody

Lawyers for Democracy (LfD) and Lawyers’ Collective (LC) claimed the Supreme Court (SC) Opinion that said there was no legal impediment for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest for a third- term was written in ‘political’ language instead of ‘judicial’ language.
The SC Opinion, which was recently tabled in Parliament by the Opposition, despite repeated requests by the Opposition for Leader of the House, Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to do so, falling on deaf ears, the language, i.e. that of the SC Opinion, was described by LfD and LC Convener J.C. Weliamuna as ‘shocking.’
Article 129 of the Constitution talks of matters of public importance requiring an open Court hearing and not a private hearing, they said.
ba5d38b89bc1c6d65a2f54402356690d_L (1)Srinath Perera (PC) said the President’s recent revelations about possessing files pertaining to those who had crossed over from the government to the Opposition, is an obstruction of justice, as action had not been taken against those who had engaged in fraud, corruption and violence.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Standing Committee on Rule of Law Chairman and Convener, Lal Wijenayake, said the President was holding the Legislature and the Judiciary hostage.
Another attorney, Chandrapala Kumarage said, “To abolish the Executive Presidency, 100 days are not needed. Thanks to the adversarial procedure in Article 123 of the Constitution, within a span of three days the SC can be called to give an opinion after which all that is necessary is a two-thirds majority at a General Election. ”

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