Presidential candidates not immune from the law - Prof Peiris

Certain persons trying to tarnish country's image abroad :

Lakshmi DE SILVA

Equality before law was guaranteed by the Constitution other than the immunity provided to the President and Ambassadors or High Commissioners of sovereign state, Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof G.L.Peiris said yesterday.

Everybody else is subject to the rule of law and no exception could be made to a presidential candidate, he said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing, the Minister said if political factors were to be taken in courts it would be the death knell of the rule of law.

"The military law exists from 1949 without addition or subtraction and we follow the military law of England," he said.

The present action taken totally in conformity with the law and in terms of the Army Act and he could retain his counsel had the right to cross examine witnessed coming before the military court.

There was no derogation whatsoever in the legal process. All the legal safeguards are available in the judicial process.

Therefore if one was not satisfied with the decision of a military court the right of appeal to the Supreme Court was available under the law, the Minister said.

There was the Official Secrets Act applicable to all army personnel and high officials.

Even in the UK or USA similar laws were in force. When General Dwight Eisenhower's contested US Presidency five years after retirement he did not reveal any military secrets for his political advantage, he said.

"What is happening today is that certain persons are trying to tarnish the image of the country abroad though terrorism was defeated to create a situation to show that we are a savage country that should not receive any economic assistance.

It was a sinister attempt to do what the LTTE could not do with arms, to pierce the economic heart of the country," Prof. Peiris said.