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Government MPs against revocation of civic rights

30 Apr 2021

An increasing number of Parliamentarians from the ruling Government faction have raised concerns regarding the implementation of a recommendation to strip politicians from the opposition of their civic rights, The Morning learnt. Speaking to The Morning, Yuthukama organisation Member and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Gevindu Cumaratunga said that, at a meeting held last week with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, he had called for the protection of the civic rights of persons accused of carrying out political victimisation. According to Cumaratunga, Minister Wimal Weerawansa had also made an appeal to Rajapaksa, stating that those found guilty of political victimisation must not have their civil rights infringed upon, as he had himself also been a political victim at one time. Cumaratunga further said that when Rajapaksa had questioned the Minister of Justice President’s Counsel (PC) M.U.M. Ali Sabry on the matter, the latter had stated that the stripping of civic rights must not be part of the Government agenda. It has been reported that the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate into incidents of alleged political victimisation between 8 January 2015 and 16 November 2019 had named former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka (incumbent MP), Patali Champika Ranawaka (incumbent MP), Rauff Hakeem (incumbent MP), and Malik Samarawickrema, former Opposition Leader and incumbent MP R. Sampanthan, MP M.A. Sumanthiran PC, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, J.C. Weliamuna PC, former MP Dr. Jayampathi Wickramaratne PC, the Criminal Investigations Department’s former Director and Senior Superintendent of Police Shani Abeysekara, and the former Prime Minister’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake for allegedly violating the Constitution and misusing public property. Accordingly, Dissanayake and Fonseka had filed petitions with the Court of Appeal regarding the CoI report’s recommendations. “There are many recommendations in the CoI report. A Special CoI was set up by the President to investigate the CoI report and recommend the abolition of civic rights. That is their only power since they have no power to recommend punishment. I have been named as the wrongdoer in 10 cases in the CoI report,” JVP Leader Dissanayake told The Morning on Wednesday, 28 April (Full interview on page 5 today). The Special CoI was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 29 January and was scheduled to conclude its investigations today (29), although it has now been provided an extension. The members include Supreme Court Judges, Justice and President’s Counsel Dhammika Priyantha Samarakoon Jayawardena (Chairman), Justice Khema Kumudini Wickremasinghe, and Court of Appeal Judge Justice Rathnapriya Gurusinghe. Based on the recommendations of the CoI, Premier Rajapaksa had also tabled a resolution in Parliament seeking to withdraw many criminal cases, including those pertaining to the investigations into the murder of editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, the murder of 11 Tamil men allegedly by the Navy, the Welikada Prison massacre of 2012, and alleged money laundering by one of Rajapaksa’s sons, Yoshitha Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, Justice Ministry sources confirmed that they had not reached out to the Attorney General regarding the matter, emphasising that they will not be interfering with ongoing legal proceedings.  


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