Sri Lanka Court Extends Ban On President Sacking Parliament
Sri Lanka’s highest court last Friday banned President Maithripala Sirisena from sacking the legislature until it decides on the legality of his move last month to call snap elections. The Supreme Court concluded hearing 10 petitions against Sirisena’s move as part of a bitter power struggle with his erstwhile prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, but reserved judgement for an unspecified date.
The courts reopen today. President Sirisena plunged the country into crisis on October 26 when he fired Mr Wickremesinghe and appointed the contentious Mahinda Rajapakse in his place. He then dissolved parliament on November 9 and called elections nearly two years ahead of schedule on January 5.
Four days after he sacked parliament through a special decree, the Supreme Court issued an interim ruling suspending President Sirisena’s action and restoring parliament, which almost immediately passed a no-confidence motion against Rajapakse. “The court issued a fresh order extending the ban on the president until the case is concluded,” a court official told reporters after the unusually long hearing last Friday marking four days of legal arguments. Security was stepped up outside the Supreme Court amid expectations of a final ruling last Friday evening.
The court’s seven-judge bench is expected to deliver a ruling on the constitutionality of President Sirisena’s move as early as today. Sacked premier Mr Wickremesinghe’s party and their allies, who command a majority in the 225-member assembly, have suggested they could begin impeachment proceedings against President Sirisena depending on the ruling.
Mr Wickremesinghe’s party loyalists believe the court decision will go in their favour, a view held by many independent lawyers.
Problems for President Sirisena were compounded when the Court of Appeal suspended the entire cabinet and asked Mr Rajapakse to explain on what authority he was holding office. With parliamentary proceedings degenerating into brawls, the United States, the European Union and other powers have raised concerns over the crisis in the strategically important island nation of 21 million people. Only China has recognised the appointment of Mr Rajapakse, who during his decade as president until 2015 relied heavily on Beijing for diplomatic and financial support.