Enjoining order on UNP General Secretary

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo District Judge Sampath Wijeratne yesterday issued an enjoining order restraining UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake from suspending the party membership of two UNP local government members.

The two petitioners, UNP local government members of Horowpatana and Kahatagasdigiliya filed the plaint before the Colombo District Court citing four including UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress General Secretary and Anuradhapura Returning Officer as the defendants.

The petitioners stated that they were Local Government members and they contested from the UNP list. But letters dated February 18, 2009 were sent to them by Attanayake suspending their membership from the UNP membership alleging that they had obtained SLMC membership. The petitioners stated that they were not SLMC members. They stated if their membership was suspended from the UNP their membership of the Local government automatically gets cancelled. The suspension of the party membership was illegal.

The plaintiffs pleaded to issue an enjoining order restraining Attanayake from suspending the party membership.

The Court ordered the respondents to file answers on March 19.