Former President Maithripala Sirisena informed the Court of Appeal today, through his counsel, that he will not claim any rights to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) chairmanship in the future.
President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, appearing on behalf of Sirisena, stated that the contempt of court application filed against his client for allegedly disregarding a Colombo District Court order regarding the SLFP chairmanship could now be resolved. He assured the court that Sirisena would refrain from pursuing any claims to the position in the future.
The application had been filed by SLFP activist Montague Sarathchandra, seeking to punish Sirisena for contempt of court for allegedly violating an interim injunction issued by the Colombo District Court on April 24, 2024.
When the case was heard before the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice (President) Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Shashi Mahendran, Senior Counsel Shantha Jayawardena, representing the petitioner, endorsed the settlement. The court then permitted the petitioner to withdraw the application.
Background of the Case
On April 24, 2024, the Colombo District Court issued an interim injunction preventing Sirisena from functioning as the SLFP chairman. Despite this, the petitioner alleged that Sirisena continued to style himself as the chairman until May 12, 2024.
The petitioner cited a resignation letter dated May 12, 2024, addressed by Sirisena to SLFP Deputy Secretary Sarath Ekanayake, in which he claimed to have discharged his responsibilities as chairman until that date. This action, the petitioner argued, brought the authority of the District Court and the administration of justice into disrespect or disregard.
With Sirisena’s assurance today, the matter has been resolved, concluding the legal dispute.
