SL court rules against Sirisena’s snap poll plan
COLOMBO : Sri Lanka’s top court ruled against President Maithripala Sirisena’s plan to dissolve the island nation’s Parliament and call a new national vote, extending a political crisis that has roiled the island nation since late October. The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled as unconstitutional a presidential notice to dissolve Parliament before a period of four-and-a-half years from its first sitting unless the move was endorsed by a two-third majority of Parliament. The verdict means Sirisena’s order for parliamentary elections on January 5 is also void.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s top court ruled against President Maithripala Sirisena’s plan to dissolve the island nation’s Parliament and call a new national vote, extending a political crisis that has roiled the island nation since late October.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled as unconstitutional a presidential notice to dissolve Parliament before a period of four and a half years from its first sitting unless the move was endorsed by a twothird majority of the Parliament.
The top court’s verdict means Sirisena’s order for parliamentary elections on January 5 is also void.
The key court decision comes after Sirisena abruptly sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 26.
The court’s order puts further pressure on Sirisena to reinstate Wickremesinghe, who had served since 2015 in a unity government with the president.
“This is a victory for the people,” Eran Wickramaratne, state minister of finance under Wickremesinghe, said by phone. “We expect the president now to reappoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.”
It was not immediately clear what supporters of Rajapaksa, who have previously caused chaos in Parliament as they defended the former strongman, would do following the court’s decision.
“Even though we don’t agree, there is no court to go beyond this,” said Namal Rajapaksa, a Sri Lankan lawmaker and son of the former president.
Sirisena’s actions have been strongly criticised by countries including the US, while the political crisis has led to Moody’s, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings to downgrade the island nation’s credit rating.
“The court’s decision is a check on the power of the president, now and in the future, which is important,” said Jehan Perera, executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka.