Extending UNP leader’s term of office for six years :

Ranil ordered to show cause

The Colombo district court on Wednesday ordered UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP Working Committee to show cause on August 28 as to why the Working Committee decided to extend the UNP leader's term of office for six years.

Colombo chief district judge Dhammika Ganepola gave this order issuing interim injunctions on the respondents after considering a case filed by Western Provincial Council member Shiral Lakthilaka against the UNP leader and 85 members of the UNP Working Committee citing the decision to extend the term of office as a violation of the party constitution.

Lakthilaka submitted in his petition that the UNP Working Committee had taken the decision to extend the UNP leaders term of office at a meeting on July 19. The party constitution stipulated that the Working Committee should meet every year and decide on the leader's term of office annually.

The Working Committee's decision to remove this stipulation through a secret vote was unconstitutional.

Lakthilaka in his petition prayed that an interim injunction be issued by court on this Working Committee decision declaring this decision as illegal.