UPFA won’t impeach CJ, wants early end to dispute

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Having faulted the judiciary for not complying with the procedures, laid down in the Constitution, to be followed as regards Bills challenged in Court for their constitutionality, the SLFP yesterday said it would settle the issue with the judiciary amicably.

Addressing a hastily arranged media briefing at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday, SLFP Gen. Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, SLFP Treasurer Minister Dallas Alahapperuma and UPFA Gen. Secretary Minister Susil Premjayanth said that the government wouldn’t do anything to aggravate the dispute.

The ministers dismissed as baseless speculation that the government was planning to impeach the Chief Justice. Minister de Silva alleged that interested parties were propagating lies to cause a further rift. He backed Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa’s decision to issue a statement on the Supreme Court.

The minister alleged that an attempt was being made to portray the Speaker’s explanation as somewhat hostile action towards the judiciary.

The minister said: "The Speaker’s statement was made in agreement with all party leaders in Parliament on the manner in which the Supreme Court ruling on the Divi Neguma Bill was conveyed to Parliament. It was delivered to the Secretary General of Parliament and not the Speaker."

The SLFP panel alleged that a section of the Opposition was working overtime to cause chaos by creating a rift between the UPFA and the judiciary. The panel said that the government wouldn’t allow the Opposition to exploit the situation.

Minister Alahapperuma said that in the wake of the recent attack on Secretary to the Judicial Service Commission, Manjula Thilekeratne, those who had accused the government of a cover-up of controversial National Savings Bank-Central Finance Company (TFC) had changed their tune.

An influential group was trying to utilise the NSB-TFC deal, Divineguma Bill as well as the attack on Thilekaratne to whip up anti-government sentiments, he said.

The SLFP Gen. Secretary said that the government was mindful of the forces arrayed against the ruling coalition, though the LTTE no longer posed a military threat to the country. Those who had been supportive of the LTTE’s eelam project were still fishing in troubled waters and exploring ways and means of undermining the Rajapaksa administration, he added.

The minister alleged that certain NGOs and trade unions besides foreign governments were involved in the anti-government conspiracy.

Condemning the attack on the JSC Secretary, the minister claimed that a third party may have carried it out to bring the government into disrepute.