Opposition threatens to sue Treasury Secretary over failure to release funds for LG polls

MP Prof. G.L. Peiris 

• MP G.L. Peiris says Treasury Secretary will be given seven days to release funds failing which legal action will be initiated against him for acting in contempt of court
• Says steps will be taken to inform the international community of the current situation in Sri Lanka
• Claims refusal to implement a court order could set a dangerous precedent
• Slams Govt. attempts to summon Supreme Court judges before privileges committee over interim order given on LG polls

Parliamentarian representing the Freedom People’s Congress, Prof. G.L. Peiris says opposition parties including his own will initiate legal proceedings against Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana if the latter fails to release funds allocated for the upcoming local Government polls within seven days. Peiris said the parties will request the courts take action against Siriwardana after considering him as having acted in contempt of court by failing to adhere to the interim order issued by the Supreme Court issued on 2 March which prevented Siriwardana from withholding funds allocated for the election. Peiris said the parties will also take steps to inform the international community of the situation in Sri Lanka during the coming week. He made these comments at a press conference held at the party office in Colombo yesterday.

Noting that the term of the local Government bodies has now ended, Peiris said that a sense of uncertainty continues to surround the local Government polls. Commenting on the Government’s failure to release funds and adhere to the court order, Peiris said if the order issued by the court is not implemented it could set a dangerous precedent for the future. He also slammed the Government’s attempts to pack away the court order delivered and for taking steps to summon three Supreme Court judges before the parliamentary privileges committee next week. “The judiciary is an independent institution. The constitution has clearly indicated that no one can interfere with it. Therefore, Parliament has no right to debate a case pending in the Supreme Court,” he said. The MP also said a tragic fate has befallen local Government bodies and it is a situation that cannot be accepted.