A lawyer, Shan Ranasuriya, has submitted a fundamental rights petition to the Supreme Court, requesting a ruling that current President Ranil Wickremesinghe is unfit to run as a candidate in the upcoming presidential election. The petition argues that the President’s deliberate violation of the constitution makes his candidacy inappropriate.
The petitioner has further urged the Supreme Court to issue an interim restraining order to prevent Wickremesinghe from participating in the election scheduled for September 21. Additionally, the petition seeks an order for the appointment of an Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), citing the President’s failure to appoint key judicial and law enforcement officials as a violation of his constitutional duties.
The petition names President Wickremesinghe, the Attorney General, and the Attorney General on behalf of the President as respondents. It claims that despite taking an oath under Article 30(1) of the Constitution to protect the Constitution, Wickremesinghe has failed to fulfil his obligations, particularly in appointing judges to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, as required by Article 107(7).
The petition highlights vacancies in the judiciary, including two Supreme Court judge positions and five Appellate Court judge positions, and points out that a promotion nomination for Nishanka Bandhula Karunaratne to the Supreme Court was not approved by the Constitutional Council. The petitioner also references ongoing fundamental rights cases challenging the appointment of Deshbandu Tennakoon as Inspector General of Police, which resulted in a Supreme Court interim order preventing Tennakoon from exercising his duties.
The petitioner argues that there is no legal obstacle to appointing an Acting IGP, despite the President’s claim that his candidacy for the upcoming election prevents him from making such an appointment. The petition further alleges that by not appointing an Acting IGP, the President has endangered public safety and violated the Constitution, rendering his candidacy inappropriate.
Finally, the petitioner requests that the Supreme Court rule that the President’s actions have violated the basic human rights of the public and that a suitable Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) from the Police Department should be appointed as the Acting IGP.
Source : BBC Sinhala
