Diana abandons petition against SJB

Former State Minister Diana Gamage has officially withdrawn her petition challenging the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) decision to revoke her party membership. During yesterday’s proceedings, Gamage’s legal team informed the Supreme Court that she did not intend to pursue the case further.

The SJB expelled Gamage following her vote in favour of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in 2020, contradicting the party’s unanimous stance to oppose the amendment. Gamage had filed the petition seeking an order to annul the SJB’s decision to remove her from the party’s National List.

During the Court proceedings, Gamage’s attorneys requested permission to withdraw the petition, stating there was no need to continue with the legal challenge. The Supreme Court subsequently granted their request, allowing the petition to be withdrawn without further action.

In May, Gamage lost her seat in Parliament after the Supreme Court ruled that she is not qualified legally to hold a Parliamentary seat in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the Apex Court considering an appeal filed by Social activist Oshala Herath quashed the previous Court of Appeal decision allowing Gamage to remain in Parliament despite being a UK citizen.

Delivering the verdict, the three-judge Supreme Court bench issued a Writ Order revoking Gamage’s Parliamentary membership. In their ruling, the justices concluded that Gamage according to the Sri Lankan Constitution was ineligible to hold a Parliamentary seat due to her UK citizenship. This judgment likely influenced her decision to withdraw her petition against the SJB.