GENERAL SECRETARIES STUCK IN QUAGMIRE

UPFA and SLFP

Concerns were raised by political parties and the legal fraternity yesterday over a possible delay in gazetting of national list members by Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya because of the dispute over the post of UPFA General Secretary.

The UPFA expects to file a petition in the Supreme Court today or tomorrow challenging the sacking of Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadharshana Yapa from the posts of UPFA and the SLFP general secretaries and replacing them with Prof. Wishva Warnapala and Duminda Dissanayaka, a member of the UPFA legal team told Daily Mirror on condition of anonymity.

He said legal experts were preparing the petition and that in case the dispute was not resolved soon the first session of the new parliament scheduled for September 1 might also be delayed.

The core issue is that of the Mahinda Rajapaksa faction not recognizing the sacking of Mr. Premajayantha and Mr. Yapa from their posts by President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday. Prof. Wishva Warnapala and Duminda Dissanayaka who were appointed as acting general secretaries of the UPFA and the SLFP respectively had also obtained an enjoining order from the District Court of Colombo restraining Mr. Premajayantha and Mr. Yapa from interfering in the work of the acting general secretaries. The enjoining order was obtained on Friday just prior to the court vacation beginning on Monday. A court official said the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court would resume sessions only on August 31 at the end of the Court vacation and as such any legal action by Mr. Premajayantha and Mr. Yapa would have to be put off till then. However, the official said petitions could be filed in the two apex courts during the vacation.

Mr. Premajayantha, who commented on the removal of Mr. Yapa from the post of SLFP General Secretary and the appointment of Mr. Dissanayaka to replace him said it was a violation of the SLFP constitution and pointed out that the enjoining order had been obtained by misleading the court.

“The General Secretary of the UPFA can only be removed by a resolution approved by the UPFA Executive Committee and not by the leader according to its constitution.