SC rules dissident MPs' expulsion from SLMC invalid

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 July 2005, 09:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Friday ruled that the expulsion of three dissident parliamentarians Messrs Rishard Badiudin, Ameer Ali and Najeeb Abdul Majeed from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) was invalid and of no force and effect in law. The dissident parliamentarians are currently Ministers in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, legal sources said.

The three petitioners in their applications had sought the Supreme Court to make an order nullifying their expulsion from the SLMC without giving adequate notice and without seeking their explanation.

They cited the SLMC Leader, UNP General Secretary, Commissioner of Elections and the Secretary General of the Parliament as respondents, legal sources said.

Five member-bench of the Supreme Court was specially appointed to inquire into these petitions. The bench comprised Chief Justice Mr.Sarath N.Silva and Justices Nihal Jayasinghe, Nissanka Udalagama, Nimal Dissanayake and Raja Fernando, legal sources said.