SJB wants to appoint Ranjan to National List

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya will pledge to appoint former MP Ranjan Ramanayake to the Parliament in the first instance of an occurrence of a vacancy in the National List.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe granted a conditional Presidential Pardon to Ranjan Ramanayake on Friday (26) morning.

A statement from the President's Media Division noted that the Pardon will be subject to the conditions that Ranjan Ramanayake no longer makes any statement that is in contempt of court and does not act in such a manner.

JAILED FOR CONTEMPT

On the 12th of January 2021, Ranjan Ramanayake was sentenced to jail for contempt of court.

Ramanayake was sentenced to four years of Rigorous Imprisonment by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

Ramanayake was accused of contempt of court for allegedly making a controversial statement regarding the composition of the Supreme Court judge bench hearing the petitions filed against the President’s dissolution of Parliament in 2018.

In January 2020, Ramanayake was arrested for committing a crime in terms of Article 111C (2) of the Constitution by interfering with the functions of judges. He was later granted bail, and following the conclusion of the trial, he was sentenced.

On the 7th of April 2021, Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene informed Parliament that the Parliamentary seat of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ranjan Ramanayake has been declared vacant.

He said the Parliament Secretary General has informed the Elections Commission that MP Ranjan Ramanayake ceases to be an MP as per Parliamentary Act.

https://twitter.com/sajithpremadasa/status/1563061467095928832