SJB asks Speaker to let Ranjan attend Parliament

by Saman Indrajith

The SJB has urged Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to take action to help MP Ranjan Ramanayake, who is serving a jail term, to attend Parliament sessions making use of the provisions that helped MP Premalal Jayasekera attend parliament.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo, Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the Speaker had set a precedent by enabling MP Jayasekera, a death row prisoner, to attend Parliament and Ramanayake had to be treated similarly.

“We hope that the Speaker will announce a just and fair verdict pertaining to MP Ramanayake’s position on February 9 when the House commences sittings.

“MP Ramanayake has filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking an interim injunction to prevent the Secretary General of Parliament from informing the Election Commission that he is disqualified from being an MP. He has also filed an appeal to the Supreme Court under the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act. So, the Speaker now has to permit MP Ramanayake too to attend parliament.

In addition the Chairman of the Elections Commission has already announced that MP Ramanayake’s seat would be valid till six months since the date of being imprisoned. Therefore, we request the Speaker to allow MP Ramanayake to enjoy his rights and privileges as an MP. The Speaker is there to protect the rights of all MPs. He is not the Speaker of only the government MPs. He is bound to extend the same privileges he accorded to the government MPs to the Opposition MPs too,” MP Kiriella said.