UNP-SLFP(M) pact challenged in court

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: A plaint has been filed before the Colombo District Court against UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe challenging the agreement he entered into with Sri Lanka Freedom Party Mahajana Wing convenor Mangala Samaraweera on July 19, 2007 was a violation of UNP party Constitution.

Colombo Additional Judge Sampath Wijeratne yesterday ordered Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mangala Samaraweera to show cause on August 21 not to issue interim injunction restraining activating the agreement they entered into on July 19, 2007.

The Court issued notice of Interim Injunction after considering the plaint filed by former UNP Member of Parliament W.I. Anura Bastian and UNP Western Provincial Councillor Anil Kumara Wijesinghe citing Wickremesinghe and Samaraweera as defendants.

Plaintiffs filing the plaint through Attorney B.S. Upula Fernando stated that the UNP party constitution had not vested power on the party leader to decide the policies and principles of the party but to the Party Convention or to the National Executive Committee of the party.

The plaintiffs further stated the leader of the party had entered into an agreement with the convenor of the SLFP Mahajana wing without the approval of the Party Convention or the National Executive Committee of the party on July 19, 2007 and the plaintiffs learnt the content of the agreement only on July 30, 2007.

The plaintiffs stated that UNP leader had entered into many conditions violating the party constitution including that to contest elections with political parties and to agree to contest as a Broad Front under the name of “National Congress”. In addition to Nominate two persons as Joint Secretaries of the National Congress by both UNP and the SLFP Mahajana Wing.

The plaintiffs further stated according to the conditions the Treasurer of the National Congress would be appointed from any other Political Party in the National Congress. At all elections SLFP M Wing has the right to nominate candidates to the District and it will be entitled to nominate candidates to Local Government Bodies.

The Election campaign would be led by the president of the UNP Rukman Senanayake and Chief Coordinator of the SLFP M Wing Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi.

The plaintiff further said that according to the conditions of the agreement at all elections the Final Nominations Board would be constituted by UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLFP M Wing Convenor Mangala Samaraweera.

Samaraweera would hold the office of Deputy Prime Minister SLFPM Wing would share the total of 32 Cabinet Portfolios, the Deputy Ministerial Posts and the subjects while agreeing to discuss the same with the other political parties in future.

The number of National List Members the National Congress would have and other additional issues to decide among the two parties and other political parties according to the conditions agreed in the other additional agreements. The Plaintiffs stated that the additional agreement in the agreement had been kept in strict confidence between them.

The plaintiffs prayed before the Court to issue interim injunction restraining the defendants from activating the agreement or the additional agreement signed by them. The Plaintiffs reserved the right of enjoining order.

President’s Counsel Ikram Mohamed appeared with Attorney Chamath Jayasekara and Thusith Wijegunawardana for the plaintiffs instructed by B.S. Upul Fernando.