Sri Lanka SC overturns sacking of parliament by President Sirisena

Sri Lanka SC overturns sacking of parliament by President Sirisena
A Sri Lanka police officer stands guard outside the court as deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe-led United National Party's members file a petition against President Maithripala Sirisena's decision to sack parliament, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Colombo: Sri Lanka' Supreme Court Tuesday overturned President Maithripala Sirisena's dissolution of parliament and ordered a halt to preparations for snap elections on January 5, party officials present at the hearing said.

A three-member bench including the country's chief justice Nalin Perera delivered its ruling after two days of deliberations on as many as 13 petitions against and five for Sirisena's November 9 decision to dissolve Parliament.

All petitions filed against Sirisena's decision will be heard on December 4, 5 and 6, the apex court ruled.

The petitioners included a member of the independent election commission Ratnajeevan Hoole.

Sirisena dissolved Parliament and ordered snap election on January 5, plunging the country's into an unprecedented political and constitutional crises since October 26 when he sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.