* Supreme Court to deliver verdict today on breach of SJB’s party discipline
The Supreme Court is poised to deliver its verdict today, August 9, on the petitions filed by Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara. These petitions contest the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) decision to suspend their party memberships, which was based on alleged breaches of party discipline.
The SJB had expelled Fernando and Nanayakkara, citing violations of party rules. The Supreme Court had concluded hearings on their case on January 23, with a three-judge bench consisting of Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Achala Wengappuli, and Arjuna Obeysekera. The verdict was deferred indefinitely.
During the hearing, President’s Counsel Faizer Mustapha, representing Nanayakkara, argued that the SJB’s constitution designates disciplinary actions as the responsibility of the party’s Working Committee, not the party leader. Therefore, the decision by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa to expel Nanayakkara was deemed unconstitutional and unlawful.
The SJB Working Committee had expelled Fernando and Nanayakkara on July 18, 2023. Previously, in May 2022, their membership was suspended after they accepted ministerial roles in the government, contrary to the party’s stance.
Fernando and Nanayakkara had joined the government under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to address the economic crisis, citing a lack of collective effort from other political leaders. They resigned from their ministerial positions on July 9, 2022, following Rajapaksa’s resignation announcement, but were reappointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on July 22, 2022.
