A fundamental rights petition was filed before the Supreme Court today, seeking an interim injunction to prevent Ranil Wickremesinghe from contesting the Presidential Election on September 21, 2024. The petition, submitted by Attorney-at-Law R.S.P. Ranasuriya, requests a ruling declaring the President unfit to run for re-election due to alleged constitutional violations.
The petitioner argues that President Wickremesinghe, having taken oaths under Article 30(1) of the Constitution, has a duty to uphold the Constitution. However, the petition asserts that the President violated this duty by disregarding a Supreme Court determination. Specifically, the petition highlights the President's failure to implement the nomination of Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne to the Supreme Court, a decision not approved by the Constitutional Council. This has resulted in two vacancies in the Supreme Court and five in the Court of Appeal.
The petition also raises concerns over the President’s handling of the appointment of an Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) following a Supreme Court interim order that prevented Deshabandu Tennakoon from exercising his duties as IGP. The petitioner claims that, despite there being no legal barrier to appointing an Acting IGP, the President chose not to do so, citing his status as a Presidential candidate as the reason. Instead, the President appointed Minister Ali Sabry as the Minister of Justice.
The petitioner contends that these actions constitute a violation of the Constitution and an abuse of power, thereby rendering the President unfit to be a Presidential candidate. The petition seeks a Supreme Court determination declaring the President's actions as a violation of fundamental rights and requests the appointment of a suitable Senior DIG as Acting IGP. The petitioner ultimately seeks a ruling that the President is unfit to contest the upcoming Presidential Election.
