Presidential pardon clears ex-UNP national organizer to contest on UPFA
[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 February 2010, 02:03 GMT]
S.B.Dissanayake who was the national organizer of the main opposition
United National Party (UNP) till he defected to the ruling United
Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and supported the incumbent President
Mahinda Rajapakse in the last presidential election was granted full
presidential pardon and appointed as UPFA organizer for Udunuwara
electorate in Kandy district.
Dissanayake was sentenced for one year by the Supreme Court in a
contempt of court case for criticizing the judiciary that disqualified him from
contesting parliamentary election. He was then a minister in the
United National Front (UNF) government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe. With the UPFA came to power he was released from prison without
serving full term jail sentence on the presidential directive. With the full presidential pardon granted by the President Mahinda
Rajapakse Thursday, Dissanayake is now legally entitled to contest
such election.
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