Pact with SLFP (M):

Ranil asked to file objections

SANDASEN MARASINGHE

Colombo District Judge Sisira Ratnayake yesterday ordered UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to file objections on November 6 against issuing an order to submit the alleged MoU agreement he entered into with Sri Lanka Freedom Party Mahajana Wing convenor Mangala Samaraweera on July 19, 2007 as it was needed for the continuation of the case.

The Court also fixed December 3 for hearing of the case.

The plaint was filed by former UNP Member of Parliament W.I. Anura Bastian and UNP Western Provincial Councillor Anil Kumara Wijesinghe on August 8 challenging that the agreement they entered into on July 19, 2007 was a violation of the UNP constitution and cited Wickremesinghe and Samaraweera as defendants.

The plaintiffs in their plaint stated that 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 party constitution.

Wickremesinghe filing his objections earlier through Samararatne Associates stated in terms of the averments in the plaint the said agreements were to be enforced and implemented by the UNP.

Therefore the UNP was a necessary party. However the plaintiffs have failed and neglected to make the UNP a party as a defendant in that case. He also stated that the plaintiffs have deliberately suppressed the amended constitution of the UNP and they have based the action on the old constitution of the UNP. He pleaded before the Court that the application for interim injunction be dismissed.

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.