by Wasantha Ramanayake

Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake filed a special leave application in the Supreme Court against the order of the court of Appeal overruling the preliminary objection with regard to the Jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal.

Respondent-appellant Rathnasiri Wickremanayake, Minister of Internal Security and Buddasasana cited Rohan Edrisinha, Elections Commissioner and the General Secretaries of the UPFA, UNF, Ilankal Tamil Arasu Katchi, Jathika Hela Urumaya and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.

He stated that the Court of Appeal overruled his preliminary objections, with regard to the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal to interpret the matters in connection with the selection of National list MPs. He stated that such Constitutional issues only warranted the Supreme Court interpretation and therefore, the Court of Appeal did not have the jurisdiction to hear the writ application. He sought to set aside the order of the Court of Appeal.

Rohan Edrisinha filed the writ application in the Court of Appeal seeking to prohibit the Elections Commissioner from appointing persons outside the list as National list MPs. He argued that the parties should submit their selections from their National Lists to the Elections Commissioner enabling him to Gazette them.