Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena
Giving a major setback to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, the Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned sacking of Parliament.
All petitions filed against Sirisena's decision will be heard on December 4, 5 and 6, the apex court ruled, according to the opposition party officials attending the hearing held under tight security.
It ordered a halt to the preparations for snap elections. On October 26, Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He replaced him with former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse.
The decision of the court is the latest dramatic twist in the crisis that has gripped the neighbouring country. As per the reports, headed by the Chief Justice Nalin Perera, the three-judge bench read out the landmark decision.
Sri Lanka's major political parties and an election commission member on Monday dragged President Maithripala Sirisena to the Supreme Court, challenging his controversial move of dissolving Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end.
Sirisena dissolved Parliament on November 9 and announced snap polls to be held on January 5 next year after it became evident that he did not have enough support in the House to prove the premiership of 72-year-old Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom he has appointed prime minister after abruptly sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe on October 26.
Wickremesinghe has maintained that his sacking by Sirisena was unconstitutional and illegal and was still the prime minister.
At the hearing on Tuesday, Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya, on behalf of the state, justified Sirisena's action, saying the powers of the President are clear and unambiguous as provided for in the Constitution and the announcement of the dissolution of Parliament was done by the President in accordance with the Constitution.
(With PTI inputs)
