COLOMBO –The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court today that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided not to sign the agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
The petition filed by several parties including the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) seeking an interim injunction restraining the Government of Sri Lanka from entering into the Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreement was heard today before a bench of Supreme Court Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Gamini Amarasekara and AHMD Navas.
Additional Solicitor General Farzana Jamil appearing for the Attorney General, told the court that no decision had been taken to reach an agreement between the American Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Government of Sri Lanka.
The Additional Solicitor General said that the American Millennium Challenge Corporation Board of Directors had also announced that the decision to enter into such an agreement had been rescinded.
She further told the court that the government had not yet made a decision on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) applicable to the military deployments.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court ordered the petitions to be called back on July 12 and directed the Attorney General to report to the court in writing on the same day.
The petitions sought an injunction restraining the signing of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreement and the SOFA citing that signing the agreements would threaten the country’s sovereignty and national security.
