COURT RE-LISTS SF’S WRIT APPLICATION FOR MAY 2

The Court of Appeal yesterday (31) again re-listed to be mentioned on May 2 at 10.00 a.m the Writ application filed by for mer Army Commander Sarath Fonseka seeking to sit and vote in Parliament.

The matter was taken up before Justices R.L. Ranjith Silva and Nalin Perera. Petitioner Fonseka was seeking the Court for an order directing the Respondents to take all necessary steps according to law to enable him to sit and vote in Parliament and to exercise his powers, privileges and immunities as a Member of Parliament. Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Kithulegoda, Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dassanayake, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, Returning Officer J. Sylvester, Commissioner General of Prisons Maj. Gen. V.R. de Silva, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, Lakshman Nipunarachchi and the the Attorney General were cited as Respondents.

Romesh de Silva PC with Saliya Peiris, Sugath Caldera, Riad Ameen, Shanaka Cooray and Eraj de Silva instructed by Paul Ratnayake Associates appeared for Fonseka. Deputy Solicitor General Ms Farzana Jameel with Senior State Counsel Arjuna Obeysekera appeared for the Attorney General.

Petitioner Fonseka was asking the Court to make interim orders suspending and/or staying the opera- tion of the communications/letters until the final deter mination of this application; namely (a) Sent by the 2nd Respondent infor ming the 3rd Respondent that in ter ms of Section 64(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act that the Petitioner’s seat as a Member of Parliament had fallen vacant; (b) Sent by the 3rd Respondent directing the 4th Respondent to fill the vacancy in ter ms of Article 99 (13) (b) of the Constitution; and (c) Sent by the 4th Respondent to the 3rd Respondent containing the name of the 7th Respondent in order to publish his name in the Gazette as the Member of Parliament declared elected for the Colombo District in respect of the purported va- cancy.

He is also seeking the Court to stay the operation of the Gazette Notification declaring the 7th Respondent as being duly elected as a Member of Parliament from the Colombo District until the final determination of this application.

He was asking the Court to grant and issue mandates in the nature of Writs of Certiorari quashing (i) The decision of the 2nd Respondent (acting for and on behalf of the 1st Respondent) infor ming the 3rd Respondent that in ter ms of Section 64(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act the Petitioner’s seat as a Member of Parliament had fallen vacant; (ii) the direction made by the 3rd Respondent to the 4th Respondent to fill the vacancy in terms of Article 99 (13) (b) of the Constitution; (iii) the decision by the 4th Respond- ent to send a retur n to the 3rd Respondent containing the name of the 7th Respondent in order to publish his name in the Gazette as the Member of Parliament for the Colombo District for the purported vacancy; and (iv) the Gazette Notification causing the name of the 7th Respondent to be published as being declared elected to Parliament.