Legal wrangle over dissident JHU MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2004, 09:59 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Friday ordered the newly sworn in Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarian Venerable Akmeemana Dayaratna Thera to appear in court on July 25 and issued a stay order on him prohibiting him from performing the functions of an elected representative till the legal suit filed against him is finalized, legal sources in Colombo said.

The JHU leadership nominated Venerable Akmeemana Dayaratna Thera to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Venerable Kataluwe Ratnaseeha Thera.

However, Venerable Kataluwe Ratnaseeha Thera later filed a petition in the District Court stating that he has resigned from MP post under duress by some elements of the JHU.

The petitioner in his suit sought relief from court that his resignation should be invalidated and Venerable Dayaratna Thera should be unseated.

When the matter was mentioned in the District Court of Colombo Friday the court directed the new JHU MP to appear in court and prevented him from performing the function of an elected representative till July 25, legal sources said.

Pandemonium reigned in parliament on June 8th when the newly appointed JHU MP was invited by the Speaker to take oaths.

In the melee Venerable Akmeemana Dayaratna Thera took oaths.