- Cabinet divided on seeking IMF bailout to address forex dilemma
- Udaya proposes IMF support; Basil, Bandula, and Vasu concerned
- SLFP to go solo at polls; G-10 to form mass forum to address crises
- TNA takes minority grievances against Govt. to Washington in US tour
- Twists and turns in Easter attacks probe; judges recuse from FR case
The growing economic crises have left the Government, led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, at a crossroads, while Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is trying, with little success, to disentangle the mess that is Sri Lanka’s economy.
The Cabinet of Ministers last week discussed the need to explore the possibilities of securing a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the increasing foreign reserves crisis. The country’s foreign reserves now stand at $ 2.3 billion, which is sufficient for a month’s imports.
Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila, addressing the Cabinet of Ministers last Monday (15), cautioned that the country was treading a very dangerous path if it didn’t formulate a proper plan to address the foreign reserves crisis. He proposed that the Government approach the IMF.
“Although the IMF will lay down conditions in order to support us, we are still in a situation where we could bargain and negotiate the conditions,” Gammanpila explained to the Cabinet, adding that delaying such a move would put Sri Lanka in a worse situation that might compel the Government to go begging to the IMF. “Once we are in a worse situation a few months down the line, we will not be in a position to negotiate and will have to accept their (IMF) conditions.”
Ministers Dr. Bandula Gunawardana and Vasudeva Nanayakkara then noted that the Government would not be able to persuade the people to accept the IMF’s conditions in return for financial support.
Nanayakkara observed that based on past experience, the IMF would call for the slashing of subsidies and harsh measures to bridge the budget deficit. Dr. Gunawardana also agreed and observed that the people would not be able to bear the conditions.
Finance Minister Rajapaksa then cut in, saying that the Government will not be able to justify turning to the IMF. He added that the IMF conditions would not be marketable to the people.
However, the Cabinet spent nearly one hour discussing the pros and cons of approaching the IMF to help the foreign reserves crisis. They had to weigh slashing subsidies now and resolving the crisis in the long term against continuing with the status quo and eventually being compelled to cut back on the import of essential items to resolve the forex issue.
The Cabinet meeting concluded without a final decision being made on whether the Government should approach the IMF or not. The country, meanwhile, faces a ticking time bomb in the form of economic crises.
Interestingly, the Cabinet failed to decide on an alternative programme to address the foreign reserves crisis.
“The Cabinet of Ministers had an in-depth discussion on the pros and cons of going to the IMF to seek financial support. However, no decision was taken,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman Minister Gammanpila told the post-cabinet meeting media briefing.
Finance Minister Rajapaksa maintained that he had a balanced view on the matter, but said that his initial plan was to seek a more permanent, non-debt solution for the Government.
“Our Government has a Cabinet of Ministers which comprises various types of people and different views on whether or not to approach the IMF. Some say we should approach the IMF, whereas others say we should not. I am very balanced on this subject, but I want to make a collective decision,” he said in an interview with a private television station last week.
Nevertheless, Basil indicated, during the interview, that it would take several years for the dollar crisis to be resolved. “We have a policy, and we have to meet this gap on the dollar. I want to bring it towards a positive side by 2027,” he added.
However, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal had taken a firm stand against any move to approach the IMF. He had ruled out a debt restructuring with IMF support on many occasions.
Cabraal had maintained that the Central Bank had the required expertise to manage the situation and that, at present, each foreign debt liability was under study with the exploration of different strategies to deal with those.
Be that as it may, the country is facing a risk of failing to provide an uninterrupted supply of fuel to the people, given the dollar shortage. An interruption to the fuel supply would have a cascading effect on the country’s already hobbling economy.
It is learnt that the energy sector is facing difficulties making payments for the fuel shipments received, while another shipment is expected to arrive in two weeks’ time.
The Government is yet to secure the credit lines for fuel that were being negotiated with Oman and India. Discussions were ongoing for a $ 3.6 billion credit line from Oman and $ 500 million from India.
It is reliably learnt that discussions on the Oman credit line are being dragged due to a request from Oman for collateral for the credit line due to Sri Lanka’s lowered credit ratings.
As for the Indian credit line, it is learnt that the relevant documents have been submitted by India to the Treasury and are yet to be processed, while negotiations have concluded.
It is in this backdrop that Energy Minister Gammanpila last Monday announced that the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery would be temporarily closed for 50 days, as the country’s limited foreign reserves needed to be utilised for the import of other essential items. Trade unions affiliated to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) claim that the move to shut down the oil refinery could result in an increase in fuel-related costs instead of reducing them.
“The Sapugaskanda Refinery is 51 years old. In terms of production, 37% is furnace oil and naphtha, 19% amounts to airplane fuel and kerosene oil, 14% accounts for petrol, and 29% for diesel. The Power Ministry has informed us that electricity is being mostly generated through hydropower these days and thus, it does not need furnace oil. Only long-distance airplanes need fuel from Sri Lanka, and this is not in increased demand these days. We can import petrol or diesel, instead of importing crude oil and refining it here, which will help us better manage the foreign exchange crisis. As such, there will not be a fuel crisis,” Gammanpila explained to the media.
More economic woes
The Government’s economic woes are to be further compounded, with public sector employees threatening to launch trade union action this week demanding a salary hike in line with the rising cost of living.
The Sri Lanka Government Officers’ Trade Union Association (SLGOTUA) last week warned that a force of 700,000-plus public servants would be compelled to resort to trade union action after Saturday (27) if there was no positive response from the Government to their request to increase the salaries of public servants to address issues related to the rising cost of living.
The trade union claimed that their demands have already been communicated in writing to President Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Rajapaksa, and Finance Minister Rajapaksa.
Meanwhile, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) Leader K.D. Lalkantha claimed that public, private, and estate sector employees would resort to trade union action from January 2022 if the Government failed to amend the budget proposals currently being debated in Parliament.
However, when asked whether the Finance Ministry would consider the demand for a salary hike by public sector employees, Finance Ministry and Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle had told The Morning: “No. It is not possible to do so because there is no provision in the Budget for such a salary increase at the moment. However, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has asked the National Pay Commission (NPC) to fast-track the designing of a new salary structure, considering the salary anomalies, etc. That is the only proposal as of now.”
Amidst the growing woes, disillusioned senior members of the Government continue to publicly criticise the actions of the Government.
Senior governing party MP W.D.J. Seneviratne had joined several of his governing party colleagues in criticising the conduct of the government.
During an interview with an online platform, Seneviratne had said that the Government had become a joke, and that the people were disillusioned with the Government.
He has also noted that the country would face a food shortage in the coming months due to the Government’s decision to ban the import of chemical fertiliser.
Seneviratne had added that he was not afraid of the Rajapaksa family, as he was elected to Parliament by the people in his constituency.
State Minister Susil Premajayantha and MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa had already publicly expressed their displeasure at the Government’s conduct and noted the growing public dissension.
Premajayantha fired another salvo at the Government over the closure of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery.
During his speech in Parliament last week, Premajayantha was critical of the current fuel and cost-of-living crises in the country. He also stated that the Government should look at going to the IMF for support before it is too late.
He stated that the closure of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery had placed many sectors in jeopardy, and further noted that the Government had to turn to the IMF to resolve these growing issues.
Agitated partners
The group of 10 (G-10) governing alliance party leaders met last Monday at Minister Gammanpila’s residence to discuss the Budget 2022 and the future course of action with regard to the controversial agreement on the Yugadanavi Power Plant.
G-10 leaders, Ministers Gammanpila, Wimal Weerawansa, and Vasudeva Nanayakkara decided at the meeting that they would make submissions to the Supreme Court by retaining a separate lawyer, as the Attorney General had already informed court that instructions had not been received for the Attorney General’s Department to represent the Cabinet of Ministers in the fundamental rights petitions filed by several parties against the controversial Yugadanavi Power Plant deal with US-based New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE).
The three leaders informed the G-10 meeting that Attorney-at-Law Uditha Egalahewa had been retained to represent the three ministers in the Supreme Court.
The G-10 leaders also decided to present an alternative programme to address the ongoing economic crisis.
Dr. Weerasinghe, who represented the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, explained that the Government’s 2022 Budget had failed to present a mechanism to overcome the crisis situation. He noted that the Government had two options – import substitution and increase exports. However, the Government had not presented a plan to implement these programmes.
Dr. Weerasinghe explained that the Government had instead presented a programme that would end up with the sale of national assets.
Therefore, the G-10 leaders decided to form a movement or a mass front with other organisations, intellectuals, and professionals to formulate and present a programme that would address the economic crisis, while also preventing national assets from being sold.
Accordingly, a list of organisations, intellectuals, and professionals, who will be included in the movement, are to be taken up at the next G-10 meeting.
Gammanpila told the media recently that the G-10 governing alliance partners were fighting within the Government to honour the Government’s undertaking at the elections. “It has been reported that we are fighting within the Government. Yes, we are. That is to ensure a pledge made during elections is honoured. Wimal Weerawansa and I gave a written undertaking to the people on 18 June 2020 that we would perform the role of the Opposition within the Government in the event it acts in contravention to the pledges given to the people,” Gammanpila noted, adding that the G-10 leaders worked on this undertaking in relation to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port, and, at present, the controversial Yugadanavi deal with NFE.
Former Communist Party of Sri Lanka Secretary D.E.W. Gunasekera had also criticised the Government recently.
During an interview with an online platform, Gunasekera had said that the incumbent Cabinet of Ministers was the worst cabinet since the country gained independence in 1948.
He has also likened the present parliamentarians to cattle, and claimed that the President lacked experience and was therefore unable to perform his duties.
According to Gunasekera, the President had invited him for dinner after he had made these controversial statements, but he had turned down the invite.
SLFP takes a stand
Meanwhile, the main coalition partner of the Government, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), last week took a stand on its future political path by announcing that the party would contest separately at the next national-level election.
The SLFP’s decision comes following long-standing grievances over the governing Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) sidelining its coalition allies and making arbitrary decisions on key governing issues.
Many SLFP seniors, including the party’s General Secretary State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera, have continuously criticised the Government’s conduct in public forums, while a majority of the SLFP Central Committee had also pushed for the party to take a stand against the governing party.
The SLFP’s stance of taking a separate path at the next election was officially adopted by way of a resolution at the Anuradhapura District SLFP branch, where it was stated that the SLFP should contest the next elections as a single party regardless of victory or defeat.
The meeting was held at the SLFP District Office under the patronage of SLFP National Organiser State Minister Duminda Dissanayake. Office bearers for the District Bhikkhu Front, Youth Front, Farmer Organisation, Teachers’ Front, Women’ Front, and other affiliated organisations were also at the meeting.
SLFP District Youth Front Secretary Saman Kumara proposed that the SLFP contest the next elections separately, and it was passed unanimously by the representatives of all organisations.
Addressing the meeting, Dissanayake claimed that the SLFP had supported the SLPP at the presidential election and the general election as well, but it had not received due recognition as expected.
“If the SLFP supporters are of the opinion that the party should contest the next elections as a single party, the electoral organisers should be informed of that decision, and the process to select candidates to contest the next Provincial Council election will be initiated shortly,” he said.
Former Minister Tissa Karaliyadda and MP Weerakumara Dissanayake were also present at the occasion.
Additionally, addressing a news conference last week, senior SLFPer Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the SLFP was not prepared to act as puppets of the Government, despite being members of the Cabinet of Ministers and subscribing to collective responsibility.
The SLFP had already commenced work on building a political alliance by resurrecting the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which was the governing party of the country until the 2015 presidential election.
Several rounds of meetings had already been held, under the patronage of SLFP Leader former President Maithripala Sirisena, to revive and further strengthen the UPFA.
SLPP hits back
SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam, meanwhile, slammed detractors within the governing alliance, saying steps would be taken to remove any person or force that obstructs the path of the Government.
He pointed out that if any party joined the governing party to form a government, the only way forward was to support the Government in its endeavours.
Several other SLPP ministers also expressed sentiments similar to Kariyawasam.
Most of the SLPP members, who are viewed as supporters of Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, had continuously maintained that governing alliance partners should follow the dictates of the SLPP or leave the alliance and Government.
Even Basil, on several occasions, when questioned about his harsh tone towards alliance partners, especially G-10 leaders, had said that he was well aware that the G-10 leaders would defect from the Government at some point, and he wanted it to be sooner rather than later.
Since the formation of the SLPP, Basil, who is the Founder of the party, had been focused on building the Party up into the single most powerful Party without the support of alliance partners.
Opposition protest
Amidst the woes faced by the Government on the economic front, the Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) decided to flex its muscles and engage in a show of strength by organising a massive protest in Colombo last Tuesday (16).
Despite several court orders being obtained by the Police to prevent the SJB’s mass protests on Tuesday, the party continued with the protest as planned.
Busloads of people from various parts of the country had left their hometowns on Tuesday morning to reach Colombo by afternoon and participate in the protest. However, police barricades had been set up along the roads, and several buses and other vehicles carrying SJB supporters to the protest were turned around.
Among the routes where buses and vehicles were diverted by the Police were Kandy, Haputale, Kurunegala, Peliyagoda, Anuradhapura, Warakapola, Nugegoda, and the Southern Expressway entrances, among others.
However, people were seen getting out of the buses and vehicles and vehemently objecting to the police action and, in most places, the people took to holding protests in their respective areas, as they were prevented from coming to Colombo.
Nevertheless, later that afternoon, nearly 10,000 protesters who had arrived in Colombo gathered near the Opposition Leader’s Office at Marcus Fernando Mawatha in Colombo 7 and proceeded from there to Galle Face Green via the Kollupitiya Junction.
SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and members of the SJB, including MPs Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Kabir Hashim, Thalatha Athukorale, and Patali Champika Ranawaka, and others attended the protest march.
Addressing the public at Galle Face Green, Premadasa said people have had to wait in queues to buy almost all essential commodities including milk powder, sugar, rice, and gas due to the failures of the Government.
He also claimed that for the first time in recent history, the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery was closed, and that the Government was trying to gain commissions by making emergency purchases of refined oil.
He further stated: “I urge the people of this country to get ready to work under a new vision and a new programme. We shall get together to build this country by creating a Government free of corruption, where there is a right place for the right person, irrespective of the families from which they hail from.”
Also speaking during the protest, Dr. Senaratne said Tuesday’s protest was the first in a series of action that would be taken to oust the Government. “This is the first step. The second and third steps will be even worse. Dr. (Sarath) Weerasekera said that he would use maximum force, but the people finally came to Colombo. I would like to tell him to keep his passport ready. He may need it when he is caught by the people’s force,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Police Media Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa last Monday said that orders against the protest were obtained by the Police from Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court 5, Mahara Magistrate’s Court 1 and 2, the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court, and the Homagama Magistrate’s Court.
However, the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court, Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court, and Colombo Chief Magistrate had rejected the requests by the Police for court orders preventing the SJB protest. It was also reported that the Colombo Chief Magistrate rejected the request on the grounds that the exact location of the planned protest was unknown.
According to reports, the Police had made the requests from the aforementioned courts stating that the SJB had organised said protest rally without seeking the approval of the Director General of Health Services.
Premadasa, meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, posed a question in Parliament on the diversion of buses in which people were travelling to Colombo to participate in the protest.
He charged that the Police had launched a massive crackdown on freedom of expression and speech by diverting the buses.
The Opposition Leader further alleged that certain police officers, in certain areas, had written down the names and the National Identity Card (NIC) numbers of passengers and had threatened bus drivers with the revocation of their bus route permits for transporting people for the SJB protest.
He added: “Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the past, you too went on such protest marches like Jana Gosha and were allowed to participate in them with security. I would like to ask you whether the people of this country are not free to meet the Opposition Leader and express their issues. Has this Government forgotten the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution? This is a democratic country, and the people have fundamental civil rights. The Government cannot violate them.”
Claiming that several police officers had recently gone to courts to seek restraining orders against the protest march, Premadasa noted that most of these requests were rejected by the courts.
“I urge the Public Security Minister (Retd.) Rear Admiral Dr. Sarath Weerasekera to deploy all these police teams to expose the truth behind the Easter Sunday bombings to the public. The people of the country, including the Catholic community and Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, are waiting to find out the truth behind it. Therefore, use this police force to uncover it,” Premadasa added.
Responding to the Opposition Leader’s statement, Weerasekera claimed that Premadasa was misleading the Parliament as well as the public.
“If there is a love for the country, the Opposition, including the Opposition Leader, should join hands with the Government to destroy this virus (Covid-19), and not join hands with the virus to destroy the Government, which they are currently doing,” he said.
Claiming that the Police’s role is to maintain law and order, he said that if there was any advice from the health authorities that a public rally could spread Covid-19, the Police should take action regarding such too.
“The Police are enforcing the instructions of the health authorities and, if there is a court order, do not blame the Police for no reason. If there is any complaint, you can inform us so that we will take necessary steps to look into them,” Weerasekera noted.
Protest in the Chamber
The SJB also staged a protest in Parliament last Wednesday (17) over a custodial death at the Panamura Police Station the previous day, Tuesday, as well as the police obstructions of the SJB protest march on the same day.
SJB MP Hesha Withanage informed the House on Wednesday morning that a person who had attended the SJB protest the previous day was allegedly beaten to death by the Panamura Police after being arrested. “A person from the Panamura Police Division in the Kolonna electorate, which I represent, was beaten and arrested by the Police on 16 November. The said person by the name of Indika Jayaratne has died. The people of Panamura have surrounded the Police Station. We would like to ask as to what would be the end of this programme which has commenced now? Therefore, please conduct a speedy investigation into this and serve justice,” he requested.
Meanwhile, SJB General Secretary Madduma Bandara told Parliament that the Government and Weerasekera should be held responsible for the death of the suspect at the Panamura Police Station.
He also made a statement on the diversion of people who were coming to Colombo by buses to participate in the protest organised by the SJB.
While Madduma Bandara addressed the House, members of the Opposition displayed placards protesting against Weerasekera in the Chamber.
However, in response, Weerasekera claimed that it was untrue to say that the suspect concerned had died as a result of a police assault.
The Minister said: “The Opposition has made a serious allegation that a person who took part in yesterday’s protest was arrested and beaten to death by the Police. It is a complete lie. This person’s name is Indika Jayaratne. He was 37 years old and was heavily addicted to drugs. A large number of complaints had been made against him by his wife and children. On 12 November, his daughter had been admitted to hospital, saying that she was beaten up by this person. Since then, the Police were searching for him, and it was only at 10.30 p.m. on 16 November that he was arrested.”
Weerasekera further claimed that there was no connection between the incident and the SJB protest.
“At around 3.30 a.m. yesterday, after the Police arrested this suspect, he had tied his shirt to a cable in the cell where he was being held and had tried to hang himself. Then a police officer had seen this incident when the suspect was on the verge of death and had rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. This has nothing to do with the protest,” Weerasekera continued to explain.
A tense situation was also reported near the Panamura Police Station after a group of residents surrounded the Police Station in protest over the death of the suspect in question.
Traffic on the Kolonna-Embilipitiya Main Road was also disrupted due to the protest.
US DASS visit to SL
A top US State Department official last week visited Sri Lanka for talks with local leaders and officials.
The US Embassy in Sri Lanka said that the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kelly Keiderling was in Sri Lanka to meet officials and thought leaders and discuss ways to strengthen the partnership and people-to-people ties.
Ambassador Keiderling is the South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Keiderling held wide-ranging discussions covering bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest with Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage at the Foreign Ministry.
She was on an official visit to Sri Lanka from 13 to 15 November.
The Foreign Secretary and the US DASS reviewed ongoing bilateral initiatives between the two countries, including convening of the US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue. They also exchanged views on important contemporary issues, such as strengthening democracy, the need for international co-operation to combat climate change and global pandemics, and organic farming.
TNA in the US
Meanwhile, a delegation of members from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led by MP M.A. Sumanthiran, last week visited the US on invitation of the US State Department.
While the delegation was in Washington, they were hosted for dinner by Indian High Commissioner to the US Taranjit Singh. The Indian Envoy to the United Nations (UN) in New York had also met with the TNA.
These discussions centred around the repeated failure of the Sri Lankan Government to begin a credible discussion with the TNA or other Tamil representatives on the issues faced by the Tamil people. The TNA referred to a meeting with President Rajapaksa which was cancelled by the President’s Office at the last minute and never rescheduled, despite repeated requests by TNA Leader R. Sampanthan.
The TNA delegation also raised their concerns on the secretive and exclusive process through which the Government is drafting a new constitution without any input from Opposition parties, as well as the failure of the Government to hold provincial council elections.
Meanwhile, the TNA had stated that it was prepared to have talks with the Government.
TNA MP S. Sritharan told Parliament that the TNA had never closed the doors on talks with any administration.
He said that the TNA had negotiated with the Government even in the past in an attempt to seek solutions for issues faced by the Tamils.
Sritharan said this in response to a call made by ruling party MP Shantha Bandara asking the TNA to work with the Government to find solutions to the issues faced by Tamils.
CID records statement
Meanwhile, National Catholic Social Communication Centre Director Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) last Monday and Tuesday to record a statement.
Fr. Fernando provided an approximately seven-hour-long statement on Monday and an eight-hour-long statement on Tuesday with regard to the complaint lodged by State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay on allegations levelled against him by Fr. Fernando.
Speaking to reporters outside the CID Headquarters on Monday, Fr. Fernando said that was scheduled to appear before the CID once again last Tuesday.
He also said: “The remarks I made during that conference are based entirely on the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) and the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Those two reports are available to the public. The President handed over the PCoI report to the Attorney General (AG). The other report has been submitted to Parliament.”
He further said that it was the duty of the AG to implement the recommendations contained in the report prepared by the PCoI. “The AG has the responsibility to implement those recommendations. He has to act more responsibly. He has been entrusted with the task of implementing those reports, but he has hardly implemented them. Only a few of such recommendations have been implemented.”
He noted that if the recommendations of such reports are implemented, it is possible to find out the truth behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks. “Relevant authorities, including the CID, should work to uncover those facts. That is not our role. The relevant institutions should do their job.”
On 25 October, a complaint was filed at the CID by Sallay against Fr. Fernando and others who attended a recent online forum, requesting an investigation into an allegation made against him during the said forum that the National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ) terror group, which was behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April 2019, was supported by the Intelligence services, including him (Sallay), in his capacity as then Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) Director.
Judges withdraw
Meanwhile, last Tuesday, two judges of the seven-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya withdrew from hearing 12 fundamental rights petitions filed against the failure to prevent the series of attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019.
The two judges had informed the court that their decision was due to personal reasons.
Accordingly, justices Priyantha Jayawardena and Gamini Amarasekera had recused themselves from hearing the case.
The seven-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Jayasuriya, included justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Murdhu Fernando, L.T.B. Dehideniya, S. Thurairaja, and Gamini Amarasekera.
Twelve fundamental rights petitions had been filed before the Supreme Court and the petitioners have sought a court directive for the IGP to initiate legal action against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, and other State Intelligence officials, as well as then President Maithripala Sirisena, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and members of the then Cabinet, for not taking appropriate action to prevent such attacks despite being presented with intelligence that Islamic extremists or other extremists were carrying out the attacks.
The petitioners had also stated that their fundamental rights had been violated due to the failure to prevent the attacks.
The case has been fixed for support on 14 March next year