Party leaders must decide on Impeachment resolution

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

It is up to the party leaders now to decide on taking up of the resolution to impeach Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayaka for debate, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said yesterday.

Speaker Rajapaksa said, the leaders of political parties will meet this week to discuss the dates for the debate on the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee(PSC) that probed the charges against the CJ.

The Party leaders are likely to arrive at a decision on the impeachment debate when Parliament convenes on January 8 for the first time this year. Asked if he had anything to say about the notices issued to him and PSC members that investigated impeachment charges against Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayaka, the Speaker said he has nothing to comment.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister and Lanka Sama Samaja Party Leader Prof Tissa Vitharana, who with two other leftist coalition partners, Communist Party Leader D E W Gunasekera and Democratic Left Front Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara recently presented a letter to the President requesting him to prorogue Parliament as a measure to ease tensions surrounding the impeachment, said they are not against the impeachment of Chief Justice Dr Bandaranayaka.

“The charges of misbehaviour and financial irregularities leveled against Dr Bandaranayaka are serious,” Prof Vitharana said, “Our intention was to further strengthen the legal process of investigation so that certain NGOs and political elements that have launched propaganda campaigns against the government over the impeachment of the Chief Justice to discredit the government both locally and internationally, will not get that chance,” he explained.

Nevertheless, the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Bandaranayaka has been held in accordance with the Constitution,” explained Prof Vitharana. Construction Engineering Services Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa said, the Chief Justice is no longer showing character of a Chief Justice, but a politician. He said , “she is playing an anti-government role to bring the country to disrepute by accusing the government of interfering with the justice system when she has 14 misbehaviour and incapacity charges”.