Councilor expelled by SLMC files writ petition seeking restoration of CMC seat

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

Mohamad Buhari Fathima Sohara, a councilor who lost her seat in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) after being removed from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) for voting in favour of the CMC’s budget proposal presented by the ruling NPP, has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal seeking an order permitting her to continue to function as a Municipal Councillor of the CMC.   

The petitioner states that she was removed from party membership after voting in favour of the Colombo Municipal Council’s Budget proposal presented by the ruling National People’s Power (NPP). This petition was filed through Attorney-at-Law Manjula Balasuriya.   

According to the petition, following the Local Government Election held on May 6, 2025, the petitioner was elected to the Colombo Municipal Council under the proportional representation system representing the SLMC and was sworn in as a Municipal Councillor on June 15, 2025.   

She alleges that her subsequent expulsion from the party resulted in the loss of her council seat and is seeking judicial intervention to prevent the enforcement of that decision. Through the writ application, the petitioner is requesting the Court of Appeal to issue an order enabling her to continue to serve as a member of the CMC.   

Leader of the SLMC Rauff Hakeem, along with the party’s Chairman, General Secretary and several others, have been named as respondents in the petition.   

The petitioner stated that she voted in favour of the budget document by using her discretion at the special meeting held on December 31, 2025 to consider the proposed budget document for the year 2026.   

The Petitioner states that at the special meeting held on December 31, 2025 to consider the proposed budget document for the year 2026, the said budget received 58 votes in favour and 56 votes against, and accordingly, the said budget document was passed with a majority of 2 votes.   

The Petitioner stated that voting in favour of the budget document by her is not an exceptional circumstance at all, and accordingly, the SLMC leader has no power to take disciplinary measures against her and suspend her party membership.