MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had refused to accept the letter of resignation submitted by Justice Minister Ali Sabry from the post of minister as well as from his membership in the legislature, according to reliable sources.
Colombo Times learnt that the minister had tendered his resignation to the president from his post of MP as well as from his ministry portfolio on Friday at the President’s House, expressing his concerns over the appointment of a Presidential Task Force to work out the ‘One Country,One Law’. But the president had flatly turned down the minister’s resignation citing several reasons why Sabry should continue his services to the nation.
Last week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a gazette notification announcing the appointment of a 13-member Presidential Task Force for “One Country, One Law,” with Ven. Gnanasara Thera appointed as its chairperson. The task force’s other members are Prof. Dayananda Banda, Prof. Shanthinandana Wijesinghe, Prof. Sumedha Siriwardana, N.G. Sujeewa Panditharathna, Iresh Senevirathne, Sanjaya Marambe, Eranda Navarathna, Pani Wewala, Moulavi Mohamed, Mohamed Inthikab, Kaleel Rahuman and Azeez Nizardeen.
Earlier in a statement to Sunday Times, Minister Sabry said he was unaware of the setting up of the “One Country, One Law” Presidential Task Force headed by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda-aththe Gnanasara Thera.
Sabry told the Sunday Times he was not consulted on the setting up of the Task Force. “I am not happy about the move,” he said.
During a two and half hour discussion between the president and the minister, Colombo Times learnt that the president had appeased the minister by saying that the task force has been appointed only to conceptualize the ‘ One Country,One Law’ and the recommendations will be made to him for necessary consideration.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) pointed out on Tuesday,on Oct.2 that the appointment of a Task Force to oversee the work of the Ministry of Justice is in view of the BASL improper and outside the accepted framework for lawmaking. “ Any alienation of what are properly functions of the duly elected legislators and proper legally mandated executive functionaries by relocating their functions elsewhere involves erosion of the Sovereignty of the People,” the statement added.
In the statement referring to Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding the Presidential Task Force for One Country, One Law, the BASL letter signed by its President Saliya Pieris PC and its Secretary Rajeev Amarasuriya it has been pointed that there is no doubt the president is aware that the preparation of draft legislation and the study of existing legislation are tasks of a serious nature involving several institutions of the State. Legislative power is one of the aspects of the sovereignty of the people.
Sabry nominated by the president to the parliament to represent minority interests, was also appointed minister of justices by virtue of his unblemished legal background. Being the President’s Counsel, before entering the parliament, Sabry had lucrative legal practice with a team of efficient lawyers. Earlier, in his youthful days, Sabry had also served as a diplomat representing Sri Lanka in Saudi Arabia.
