According to the Constitution Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot contest for a third term says Professor of Public Law at The University of Queensland and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law Suri Ratnapala. This was revealed at the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) meeting held today (18th) to announce its view.
The meeting was chaired by the President of BASL Upul Jayasuriya, its General Secretary Ajith Pathirana, Dr. Jayampathy Wickremeratna, Dr. Sunil Cooray and Dr. Prathibha Mahanama.
BASL had assigned Prof. Suri Ratnapala to clarify the legal point put forward by former Chief Justice Sarath N. de Silva that Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot contests for a third term. Accordingly, Prof. Ratnapala had informed BASL regarding his clarification. Today at the auditorium of the BASL this view was declared as the official view of the BASL.
Lawyers who spoke on behalf of the government put forward various arguments. The government side was headed by former president of BASL W. Dayaratna. His main argument was certain clauses in tenant farmer act (The Agrarian Development Act) were contrary to the Constitution. He asked why it is not changed.
Dr. Jayampathy Wickremeratna responding said there were clauses that were contrary to the Constitution in many other acts but they had not been challenged yet.
Mr. W. Dayaratna coming up with another argument asked why clauses of the 18th amendment were brought forward now. Responding to it Dr. Jayampathy Wickremeratna said the issues hav
After the exchange of ideas Prof. Savithri Gunasekera and Prof. Deepika Udagama accepted Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratna’s argument.e come up as Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is preparing to contest the presidential election again.
Currently, ‘People’s Movement for Democracy in Sri Lanka’ is holding seminars throughout the island under the theme ‘No third term for Mahinda – Challenges of illegal presidential election.’ Former Chief Justice Sarath N de Silva and JVP Leader Anura Dissanayaka have come forward to make the masses aware of the dangers the country will have to confront if a person is given a third term and through holding an illegal presidential election.
