Video: Gotabaya’s FR Petition will face problem - Ranil

14 May 2015 04:26 pm

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today that the Fundamental Rights Petition filed by former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa would face a problem as the Cabinet which is named as the respondent may not be in existence on the next hearing date.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, who was speaking at the International Media Summit at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI), said that the question would arise as a new Cabinet would be in place on the next hearing date in October -- as there would be a new parliament by September.

The prime minister said he wanted to file his answers as soon as possible. He said the petitioner Mr. Rajapaksa had a right to have redress as soon as possible, without waiting till October.

He suggested that the government should seek the advice of the Commonwealth Judges Association. He justified this by pointing out that Sri Lanka held the Commonwealth Chair currently and was bound to follow its practices.

He said he agreed with some of the observations which Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva had made at the summit.

Mr. De Silva, who spoke before the Prime Minister said the private sector media should practice self censorship so that they won’t defame anyone. Citing an example he said a report that a former head of state had deposited billions of dollars in a foreign bank had caused harm to that person. (Yohan Perera and Darshana Sanjeewa)

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