Sunday Sep 08, 2024
Sunday Sep 08, 2024
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National People’s Party (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said the NPP will take legal action against IGP Deshabandu Thennakoon if he attempts to continue functioning in his post despite a Supreme Court order against him.
“If Deshabandu Thennakoon dares to carry out any duty as the IGP we will take necessary legal action against him,” he said.
Speaking at the opening of the NPP’s Election Monitoring Centre in Battaramulla yesterday, Dissanayake also commented on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s special statement in Parliament, rejecting the injunction order issued by the courts against Thennakoon.
He challenged Gunawardena to deliver the same speech against the Supreme Court outside Parliament, where he would not be protected by Parliamentary privilege. Additionally, the NPP leader claimed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe despises the Supreme Court and is acting irrationally to create a conflict with the Apex Court.
Dissanayake recalled that Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Cabinet were removed in 2018 after the courts found their appointments to violate the Constitution. He accused Wickremesinghe of accepting court orders when they were favourable to him and rejecting them when they were unfavourable.
The NPP leader recalled that former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne was appointed as the Acting IGP when former IGP Pujith Jayasundara was sent on compulsory leave. “Therefore there need not be a vacancy for an Acting official to be appointed,” he said.
“I also challenge Deshabandu to sign off on one telephone call, a circular or any message as IGP,” he said.
Dissanayake stated that the President is demonstrating his uncivilised behaviour through these actions and is unfit to lead the country. He urged Sri Lankans to address these issues legally, democratically, and peacefully.
The NPP’s newly set up Election Monitoring Centre will be led by former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Gamini Navaratne. The other members of the centre include NPP Retired Police Collective Chairperson Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne, former DIG J. A. Mark and former Ministry Secretary Tissa Warnasuriya.
The centre will gather information on election violations and any other activities obstructing elections across all 25 districts of the island in the pre-election period.
The centre is located on Right Circular Road, Jayanthipura, Battaramulla. Its centre operates 24 hours a day and will be managed by a staff led by former DIG David Gajasinghe and SP Upali Piyananda.
The public can report incidents and provide information via three telephone numbers: 0112 796388, 071 435 6301, 0777 307409, and through the email address [email protected].
