Date fixed to decide on Ranil-Mangala pact

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: Colombo District Judge Sisira Ratnayake yesterday fixed November 1 to decide on whether to issue the interim order in connection with plaint filed against UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sri Lanka Freedom Party Mahajana Parshawaya convenor Mangala Samaraweera challenging the agreement they entered into on July 19, 2007 on the basis that it violated the party constitution.

The plaint was filed by Former UNP Member of Parliament W. I. Anura Bastian and UNP Western Provincial Counsellor Anil Kumara Wijesinghe on August 08 citing Wickremesinghe and Samaraweera as defendants.

Plaintiffs filing the plaint stated Ranil Wickremesinghe 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 it was a violation of the UNP party constitution.

President’s Counsel Ikram Mohamed appeared with Attorney Chamath Jayasekara and Thusith Wijegunawardana for the plaintiffs instructed by B. S. Upul Fernando. President’s Counsel Harsha Sosa and President’s Counsel S.A. Parathalingam appeared for the first defendant while President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva appeared for the Second defendant.