Chandrika seeks Court order to remove Sirisena from SLFP leadership

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga is seeking a Court order to disqualify former President Maithripala Sirisena from holding the position of the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Among the reasons to be considered for his disqualification is that he has been holding on to the post of the party leadership even after ending his term as the country’s President as the party Constitution clearly states that he cannot do so.

The petition states that the decision of hold the party leadership was a violation of the party Constitution.
 
Ms Kumaratunga has claimed that Mr Sirisena was acting in an irresponsible manner causing damages to the party while his irresponsible behaviour also had resulted in a major security lapse causing the deaths of  several persons in the Easter Sunday attack.
 
Another reason cited was that the Supreme Court had held against Mr Sirisena for violating the Constitution after  replacing the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with a person who did not have a majority in Parliament.  Thereby he had blocked the functioning of the Parliament which had a mandate from the people.
 
Also the fact that Mr Sirisena had arbitrarily sacked other party members also has been cited as a reason that he should be disqualified from holding the party leadership.
 
President’s Counsel Chandaka Jayasundara with Purnima Ratnayake and Amila Dissanayake appeared for Ms Kumaratunga.
 
Colombo District Judge Sandun Vithana issued a order restraining from Mr Sirisena functioning as the President of the Party until April 18 and notice has been issued on Mr Sirisena on that day. 

By Manopriya Gunasekara