Ranil insists SC opinion is not binding

Friday, 7 November 2014 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Opposition and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday the opinion to be given by the Supreme Court (SC) on if President Mahinda Rajapaksa can seek a third term in office is not binding. Speaking at an event in Nugegoda, Wickremesinghe said that the President had no need to seek the opinion of the court on the subject. “If I was the President, I will not ask the court if I can contest or not,” the UNP Leader said at the ‘Green Blood’ meeting. He noted that the Court would only be giving its opinion on the Constitution and not a ruling and so it is not binding. The UNP Leader said that the judges who give their opinion on a request made by the President could always give a different verdict if a case is filed once elections are announced and if the President says he is going to contest. “If this was a Court ruling it will be different. But this is just seeking the opinion of the Court. So if the opinion is not binding, why go and get such an opinion? President Rajapaksa only created this situation by implementing the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. To change this situation there will need to be another constitutional amendment,” he said. The President has sought the opinion of the Supreme Court on if he can contest for a third term in office and for that opinion to be delivered on or before 10 November 2014. The Supreme Court had told members of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on Wednesday that they can make submissions to the Court Registrar before mid-afternoon today (7) on if the President can contest for a third term under local laws. Accordingly, the SC Registrar has told the BASL they can make written submissions on the issue to the Registrar before 3 p.m. today. (Colombo Gazette)