A petition has been filed with the Court of Appeal seeking an order to annul the parliamentary seat of Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala.
The petition was submitted by Renuka Perera, the Governing Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Minister Ananda Wijepala, the Secretary General of Parliament, and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the case.
According to the petition, Minister Wijepala was appointed as the Minister of Public Security by the President on November 18. It further states that a report published in the Sunday Times newspaper on December 10 indicated that he had also been appointed as the President’s Chief of Staff.
The petitioner claims to have confirmed this dual appointment through a request made under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Citing Article 91 of the Constitution, the petitioner argues that an individual engaged in public service is ineligible to sit in Parliament or exercise voting rights. Given that the role of Chief of Staff to the President is a public service position, the petitioner asserts that Minister Wijepala is disqualified from holding a parliamentary seat while simultaneously occupying this position.
Accordingly, the petitioner has urged the court to declare Minister Wijepala unqualified to serve as a Member of Parliament under constitutional provisions and to issue a ruling nullifying his parliamentary membership.
Additionally, the petition seeks an interim injunction preventing Minister Wijepala from attending parliamentary sessions and casting votes until the case is resolved. It also calls for an interim order restraining him from functioning as the Minister of Public Security.
