Several political parties and civil society organizations in Sri Lanka have filed petitions at the Supreme Court today (12) against the dissolution of the Parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Political parties including United National Party (UNP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) and the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), as well as civil society organization, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and Attorney Aruna Laksiri have filed petitions.
All the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MPs will petition the Supreme Court challenging the purported dissolution of Parliament seeking an annulment of the dissolution which is untenable as per the 19th Amendment, SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem said.
It has been reported that member of the Election Commission Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole also has filed a Fundamental Rights petition at the Supreme Court, stating that the dissolution of Parliament is unconstitutional.
President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Elections Commission and its members have been named as the respondents of these petitions.
The petitioners say the President has no power to dissolve the parliament under the 19th amendment of the constitution and request the apex court to issue an order voiding the gazette issued by the President dissolving the parliament and to suspend the upcoming general election until the verdict on the hearing is passed.
The UNP said that a petition is being filed in the Supreme Court seeking justice against the President’s decision to dissolve parliament.
The petitions filed by political parties against dissolution of Parliament will be considered today by a three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Nalin Perera and justices Priyantha Jayawardena and Prasanna jayawardena, according to sources.
