Left Parties Not To Vote For Impeachment
The Executive Committee of the Samajawadi Janatha Peramuna (Socialist Alliance) which met at the Communist Party office on 01 January has decided that the Members of Parliament belonging to the Alliance should not take part in the vote on the impeachment of the Chief Justice.
Tissa, DEW and Vasu
Socialist Alliance sources told Colombo Telegraph that the Communist Party had taken a firm decision not to participate in the impeachment process and this was endorsed by the other parties at the Executive Committee. The constituent parties of the Socialist Alliance are the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Communist Party of Sri Lanka, Democratic Left Front, Sri Lanka Mahajana Party and Deshavimukthi Janatha Peramuna.
A Communist Party activist told the Colombo Telegraph that the decision of the Supreme Court is a vindication of the position taken by the late Sarath Muttetuwegama, Communist Party MP for Kalawana. Muttettuwegama, along with Anura Bandaranaike and Dinesh Gunawardena, were members of the Select Committee appointed under Standing Order 78A to investigate into allegations made against Chief Justice Neville Samarakoon. The three Opposition MPs stated that the constitutionality of Standing Order 78A was in doubt and proposed that the President refer to question for determination by the Supreme Court. However, the majority of the Select Committee over-ruled them.
