Rajiva out of Liberal Party
Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha who had filed a case (DSP/108/2015) against
the Liberal Party and its party officials at the District Court of
Colombo on August 4, 2015 withdrew the case on September 17, 2015 before
Colombo District Judge, T.D.Gunasekara.
Counsel for the Liberal Party did not move for cost.
Earlier, Wijesinha obtained an enjoining order and injunction notices
against Swarna Amaratunga (President), Kamal Nissanka (Secretary
General), Rathnasiri Kottege (Treasurer), Ananda Stephen(Deputy
Secretary General), Roshan Amaraarachchi (Vice President) and Newton
Pieris and the Liberal Party.
President’s Counsel, Nigel Hatch instructed by Simon and Associates
appeared for the plaintiff Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha and Senior Counsel,
Aravinda Athurupana with Daham Binduhewa instructed by Samadi
Seneviratne, appeared for the Liberal Party.
Commenting on the withdrawal of the case, Kamal Nissanka, Secretary
General of the Liberal Party said, as the case is withdrawn, his letter
dated July 15, 2015 sent to Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, indicating that he
had ceased to have been a member of the party as he had included his
name in the United People’s Freedom Alliance( UPFA) National List is now
valid in law but indicated that the final decision rested with the
National Committee of the Liberal Party.
In a statement, party General Secretary, Kamal Nissanka stated that
only a few members of the original national list of the UPFA were
elected by the present hierarchy of the UPFA/SLFP to be Members of
Parliament and candidates of other parties were totally neglected and
some aggrieved candidates have filed cases in the apex court seeking
redress.
The Liberal Party has consistently requested Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha
to resign from the controversial National List as it does not have a
duly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UPFA. The Liberal
Party also initially felt that the said National List was filled without
proper endorsement of UPFA leader, President Maithripala Sirisena. |