CA directs prayer to be amended in East polls petition

Jayantha de Silva

A two judge Court of Appeal Bench yesterday directed the amendment of the prayer in the petition filed against the premature dissolution of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC), which was fixed for support on July 16.

The Bench constituted of Justice Deepali Wijesundera and Justice Sri Skandaraja.

The petitioner is Kasthuri Kankanamalage Priyan Rangana Abeysinghe, a resident of Timibirigolla in Dambana.

The six respondents cited are EPC Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema, Eastern Provincial Council (EPC)Minister of Agriculture T.Navaratnaraja, EPC Minister of Health M.S. Subair, EPC Minister of Road Development and Irrigation Meera Saibu and EPC Minister of Education Wimalaweera Dissanayake.

The petitioner prayed for a mandate in the nature of a writ of prohibition preventing the first respondent from taking any steps to advice the second respondent to dissolve the EPC prior to the expiration of five years in accordance with the constitution which is on May 2013 until the hearing and the final determination of the petition .