Sinhala Hardliners Attempt To Stall Northern Provincial Election; Want TNA Prosecuted

September 17, 2013 

Relying on the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, 5 Petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court seeking to declare the TNA is acting unconstitutionally.

Gotabaya - Secretary to the Ministry of Defence

These cases were filed by Gunadasa Amarasekera of  the Patriotic National Movement, Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka, Swarnahansa Foundation, Buddha Maha Sanvidanaya and an organisation called the Jaffna Buddhist Association.  Applications have been filed under Article 157A (4) alleging that the objectives of the TNA under its new manifesto was to separate the country. They also seek to prevent the election scheduled for September 21.

It is reliably learnt that hard line nationalist lawyers together with certain lawyers aligned with Gotabaya Rajapaksa are to appear for the Petitioners.

Sources told Colombo Telegraph that 4 of the 5 cases were filed today and with unusual speed, the Supreme Court has fixed the cases for support tomorrow (18th September) before the De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris, Justice Sripavan and Justice Marasinghe. The Respondent TNA has not been served with papers. Meanwhile, state media has increased the attacks on the TNA suggesting that they should be banned under the 6th Amendment. Previously, during Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva‘s period, extremist nationalist elements managed to prevent the P-Toms agreement from being implemented soon after the tsunami and it was later revealed that it was  Sarath Silva  who had instigated that litigation.

De Facto CJ Mohan Pieris is also known to be acting hand in glove with the Government and with some extremist elements openly.