Sri Lankan President Sirisena banned from sacking parliament until court decides on its legality
- Supreme Court concludes that president’s move was part of power struggle
- It reserves judgment for an unspecified date
Sri Lanka’s highest court Friday banned President Maithripala Sirisena from sacking the legislature until it decides on the legality of his move last month to call snap elections.
The Supreme Court concluded hearing 10 petitions against Sirisena’s move as part of a bitter power struggle with his erstwhile prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, but reserved judgment for an unspecified date.
The courts reopen on Monday.
Sirisena plunged the country into crisis on October 26 when he fired Wickremesinghe and appointed the contentious Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place.
He then dissolved parliament on November 9 and called elections nearly two years ahead of schedule on January 5.
Four days after he sacked parliament through a special decree, the Supreme Court issued an interim ruling suspending Sirisena’s action and restoring parliament, which almost immediately passed a no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa.