Shamindra Ferdinando
COLOMBO : Leader of the United Democratic Voice (UDV) actor Ranjan Ramanayake has requested President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reduce his seven-year term of civil disability to enable him to contest the forthcoming parliamentary election.
Pending President Dissanayake’s response to his letter dated Oct. 02, 2024, the former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) lawmaker, who represented the Gampaha District in the last Parliament, has handed over nominations as the leader of the UDV Gampaha District team.
The Elections Commission has accepted the UDV’s nominations list. The election is scheduled for Nov. 14.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court on January 12, 2021 found Ramanayake guilty on a charge of contempt of court. The SC sentenced the lawmaker who, during the Yahapalana administration served as the State Minister of Highways and Road Development, to four years’ rigorous imprisonment. Ramanayake automatically lost his right to vote or to be elected for period of seven years (Jan 12, 2021 to Jan 12, 2028).
The Bench consisted of Justice Sisira J. de Abrew, Vijith K. Malagoda and Padman Surasena.
“We convict him for the offence of contempt of court punishable under Article 105(3) of the Constitution and sentence him to a term of four years’ rigorous imprisonment,” the Court said in its judgment and directed the Registrar of the Court to issue a warrant committing Ramanayake to a prison to term of four years’ rigorous imprisonment. Ramanayake wants the term of civic disability reduced to two years from the prescribed seven years.
The SC delivered the judgment in respect of a case filed by one Ranawaka Sunil Perera in terms of Article 105(3) of the Constitution alleging the then Deputy Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare caused contempt of court by declaring the majority of Sri Lanka judges and lawyers were corrupt on Aug 21, 2017.
Civil society activist Oshla Herath yesterday told The Island that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe had granted Ramanayake presidential pardon in late August 2022 but his civic rights weren’t restored. Therefore, Ramanayake couldn’t contest the forthcoming parliamentary election under any circumstances, Herath said, declaring he intended to bring this development to the notice of the Supreme Court.
Ramanayake didn’t respond to a call made to his hand phone nor answer the voice message sent to him.
Responding to another query, Herath said that the Election Commission would be made a respondent in case he had to file a case as this situation wouldn’t have happened if the EC removed Ramanayake from the electoral register consequent to the SC ruling given during Mahinda Deshapriya’s tenure as Chairman, EC.
Herath, an unsuccessful candidate at the recently concluded presidential election said that he discussed the issue at hand with the EC and Ramanayake as well. “I asked Ramanayake to declare his intention to pull out of the contest early this week. In case the UDV doesn’t comply with his request, he’ll inform the Registrar of the Supreme Court during the week,” Herath said.
When The Island asked why he sought to deprive Ramanayake of an opportunity to contest, especially against the backdrop of acceptance of his UDV nominations list for Gampaha, Herath said he exercised constitutional rights as a Sri Lankan. “If I didn’t move court against Diana Gamage, the British passport holder would have definitely been in the fray at the parliamentary election or on some National List,” Herath said.
Ramanayake in his letter to President Dissanayake sought relief in terms of Article 34(1) of the Sri Lankan Constitution that empowered the president to pardon an offender convicted of any offence in any court. Herath said that President Dissanayake, having been critical of the way his predecessors granted presidential pardons even for persons sentenced to death by hanging, couldn’t respond favourably to Ramanayake’s request.
According to Herath, Ramanayake has justified his decision to contest the general election as the EC hadn’t removed him from the Gampaha electoral list and he received a polling card. “When I raised the failure on the part of the EC to remove Ramanayake from the electoral list, a senior officer wanted me to move court if necessary,” Herath said.
Herath said that UDV had been previously registered twice under different names and the name changed for a third time ahead of the Nov 14 presidential election. Herath emphasized the need for a total overhaul of the utterly corrupt and illogical election system in place : the .Island
