Five member SC bench to hear dissident SLMC MPs' petitions

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 May 2005, 17:23 GMT]
Five-member bench of the Supreme Court will hear the petitions filed by dissident Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) parliamentarians Mr.Ameer Ali, Mr.Rishard Badiudin, Mr.Najeeb Abdul Majeed and Mr.Mohamed Hussein Baila against their expulsion from the SLMC. The inquiry into these petitions has been fixed for May 30th and 31st, legal sources said.

Petitions challenging the expulsion order of the SLMC politburo filed by the dissident parliamentarians came up for inquiry last week before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court presided by Chief Justice Mr.Sarath N.Silva.

Other two judges were Mr.Nihal Jayasinghe and Mr.N.K.Udalagama, legal sources said.

The four petitioners sought the Supreme Court to rule the SLMC decision to expel them from the party as illegal and against the natural justice.

Petitioners cited Mr.Rauff Hakim, SLMC leader, General Secretary Mr.Hassan Ali, Secretary General of Parliament, Election Commission, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, UNP leader and UNP General Secretary as respondents, legal sources said.

The three-member SC bench decided that these petitions should be heard by a five member bench of the SC and directed the petitioners to file their objections before May 25th, legal sources said.

The four dissident parliamentarians are currently holding ministerial portfolios in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, sources said.