Court issues notice of enjoining order against UNP

By T. Farook Thajudeen

The Mount Lavinia Additional District Judge yesterday while issuing notice of the enjoining order on the Leader, Deputy Leader, Secretary and the National Organiser of the UNP, ordered them to appear before court on 15 November.

Additional District Judge Pradeep M. Abeyratne issued the enjoining order on the UNP considering the submissions made by Counsel Farman Cassim who made submissions on behalf of UNP Parliamentarians Palitha Range Bandara, Palitha Thewarapperuma and Asoka Abeysinghe, and Provincial Councilors Maithree Gunaratna and Shiral Lakthilake.

The Counsel submitted that by a letter received by his clients on 23 October, their party membership had been terminated by the leadership allegedly for taking part in the meeting held at Hyde Park on 18 October organised by the United Bikkhu Front.

The petitioners claim that the termination of their party membership arbitrarily by the leadership without holding any disciplinary inquiry is unlawful and violation of the party constitution.

He asserted that the allegation made by the party membership for taking part in the meeting at a time when there is an opinion developed among the public that the Executive Presidency system  is wrong and harmful, the petitioners to join hands with the public to protest against that is right of every citizen.

The Counsel contended that even though the party leadership though media publicity had asked the members to not to take part in the meeting, the petitioners were not intimated personally on that issue. He also said that the defendants to terminate the party membership of the petitioners without calling them to show cause for taking part in the meeting is unlawful and violation of natural justice.