By Supreme Court Dismisses Petition to Disqualify President Ranil Wickremesinghe
In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court has dismissed a fundamental rights petition aimed at disqualifying President Ranil Wickremesinghe from participating in the upcoming presidential election. The petition, lodged by an unnamed party, claimed that President Wickremesinghe’s alleged failures in appointing key judicial and law enforcement officials constituted grounds for his disqualification.
Specifically, the petitioner argued that the President’s failure to appoint an Acting Inspector General of Police and to fill vacant positions in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal were serious constitutional breaches that should render him ineligible to run for office. Despite these claims, the court found no merit in the petition and decided not to proceed with the case.
Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, representing the Attorney General’s Department, contended that the petition was based on misleading and inaccurate information, in violation of Article 92 of the Constitution. The court agreed with this assessment, leading to the dismissal of the petition and the imposition of a Rs. 50,000 fine on the petitioner to cover court costs.
This decision comes at a critical time as the country approaches presidential elections, and the court’s ruling reinforces the need for petitions to adhere to factual accuracy and constitutional provisions
