President   

Appearing for MP R.Sampanthan, he made this submission to the 7-judge bench of the Supreme Court at the hearing of the fundamental rights petition against the dissolution of parliament by the President. Ten FR petitions had been filed against the dissolution of parliament. The SC bench comprised Chief Justice Nalin Perera, Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira J de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna S. Jayawardena, Vijith K. Malalgoda and Murdu Fernando.

Kanag Iswaran PC said the President may by proclamation, summon, prorogue and dissolve parliament provided the President shall not dissolve Parliament until the expiration of a period of not less than four years and six months from the date of its first meeting unless Parliament requests the President to do so by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the whole number of members (including those not present) voting in favour together with the other consequential provisions.

He said this argument was in no manner or form supportive of any contention seeking to give the purported proclamation of dissolution of Parliament constitutional or legal efficacy or validity. Counsel said Article 70 and the Act of 1981, whether taken individually, collectively or in any other manner whatsoever, did not confer any right, authority or power upon the President to dissolve parliament by proclamation and therefore was a nullity.

He said the parliament consisting of 225 members once elected shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting and no longer and at the end of the fixed term of five years, parliament stands dissolved automatically without any proclamation being made. The Counsel said parliament can be dissolved before the expiry of the fixed period of five years as mandated in Article 62(1) by the President by way of a proclamation that too only after the expiration of a period of not less than four years and six months from the date of its first meeting.

He said the Constitution does not permit or countenance any other way in which parliament may be dissolved by the President and as such the purported proclamation of dissolution of Parliament by the President is unconstitutional and is null and void and of no force or effect in law. The petitioners ask Court for a declaration that the decisions and directions in the proclamation is null and void and of no force or effect in law.

The petitions were filed by Kabir Hashim and Akila Viraj Kariyawasam of UNP, Lal Wijenayeke of United Left Front, CPA, Member of the Election Commission Prof. Ratnajeevan. H. Hoole, Attorney-at-Law G.C.T. Perera, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, All Ceylon Makkal Congress, Mano Ganesan MP.

K.Kanag Iswaran PC, Thilak Marapana PC, Dr Jayampathi Wickremaratne PC, M.A. Sumanthiran PC. Viran Corea, Ikram Mohamed PC, J.C.Weliamuna PC, Ronald Perera PC, Hisbullah Hijaz and Suren Fernando appeared for the petitioners while Gamini Marapane PC with Nalin Marapane, Sanjeeva Jayawardane PC and Ali Sabry PC appeared for the intervenient petitioners opposing the main petitions.

The passenger ferry services scheduled to begin operations on May 13 between Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka and Nagapattinam in India wil be delayed further due to the delay in delivery of the ferry and unavoidable compliance requirements , IndSri Ferry Service Pvt. Ltd. said.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena stepped down from his role as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) paving the way for a new leadership.

Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera told the Daily Mirror today that there are over 10 members currently serving in Parliament who hold dual citizenship and said that those MPs should be removed from their posts before the elections.

Approximately 25,000 soldiers have left the service of the Sri Lanka Army without having reported for duty in the past five years, The Sunday Morning learns.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed concern over the current government's plans to sell off national assets and state-owned enterprises, calling for the postponement of all such moves until after the next Presidential election, allowing the incoming government to address the issue according to its mandate.

The faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) under the leadership of former President Maithripala Sirisena has announced the appointment of Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Udawatte as the Acting General Secretary. This follows the appointment of new SLFP Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Amid concerns over the presence of Chinese research vessels conducting surveys in the Indian Ocean, the US nominee to Sri Lanka Elizabeth K. Horst assured the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to work with Sri Lanka to ensure a moratorium on these vessels remains in place.

The Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill which seeks to penalize those who share false information over the telephone and cause public commotion was presented to Parliament.

The Maradankerni Police have initiated an investigation following the suspicious death of a woman at a residence in Thalai Adi, Maradankerni, last night. Police said the deceased is a 44-year-old mother of three and a resident of Maradankerni.

Not only the on-arrival visa but the online visa system too should be stopped, as it already affects the number of foreigners who usually arrive in the country, a senior official of the Immigration and Emigration Department said.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is ready for the Presidential eletion but they are yet to find a candidate for the presidency, SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa said today.

In a resounding display of solidarity with the Palestinian people, Sri Lanka cast its vote in support of Palestine's application for membership in the United Nations. This was announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry via an X post.

In the wake of the Election Commission officially announcing that the Presidential election will be held between September 17 and October 16, a faction of both government and opposition MPs have expressed concerns as they prefer a parliamentary election first, Daily Mirror learns.

United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh between May 10 and 15. His trip will strengthen bilateral cooperation with each country and demonstrate U.S. support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Innocent people including school children are arrested under the Yukthiya Operation for minor offences in some police stations and they are unreasonably charged under Act 54 of the Criminal Procedure, several government MPs charged today.

The expulsion petition filed by former State Minister Diana Gamage challenging the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) decision to expel her from party membership was today fixed for May 28 by the Supreme Court. Diana Gamage’s stance regarding this petition is to be informed to the court on the next date.

Mujibur Rahuman was sworn in as a National List MP before Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena a shortwhile ago. Rahuman fills the vacancy created by the unseatimg of Diana Gamage who was declared to be ineligible to remain as an MP by the Supreme Court.

Investigations have revealed that more than 80 Sri Lankan war veterans have been sent to the Russian-Ukrainian war front as members of mercenary groups by human traffickers.

The Election Commission formally announced that the 2024 Presidential election will be held on a day between September 17 and October 16.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today issued an order preventing State Minister Diana Gamage from leaving the country. Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage made this order in connection with a magisterial inquiry filed against her for allegedly committing offences under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act.