National People’s Power (NPP) Badulla district MP Kitnan Selvaraj said that the party’s MPs have agreed to share a single house within the Madiwela Housing Complex, with four of them occupying the residence together.

He said that with 159 NPP MPs and limited accommodation, each house in Madiwela, which has three bedrooms, will be shared by four MPs. “We will make do with what’s available,” he added.

Selvaraj said that the NPP MPs are not seeking luxury and will use the privileges granted to them responsibly. “The NPP operates as a team,” he said.

The MP also said that NPP representatives have not been provided with new vehicles for personal use. “Until recently, I travelled from Badulla to the party headquarters and for parliamentary sessions using public transport. Currently, I travel to Parliament with several other MPs in transport arranged by the party,” he said.

Selvaraj dismissed claims that NPP MPs have been granted luxury vehicles. “Certain people are spreading the false notion that we have been provided with such vehicles. This is completely untrue,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the accommodation he has been assigned at the Madiwela Housing Complex. “I appreciate the design of these houses, which resemble a barrack-style housing scheme. They are simple, and I hope future housing developments in the estate sector can draw inspiration from this style,” he added.

He said that he receives over 500 phone calls daily, primarily from members of the estate sector.

“Many of these issues are deeply entrenched, with some persisting for over a century without any meaningful attempts at resolution,” he said.

Selvaraj expressed optimism about the country’s prospects for a fresh start, adding that the NPP will not tolerate racism or extremism from any ethnic or religious group. “Some Tamil MPs from the North are trying to incite racism.

I had only one opportunity to speak in Parliament, and I used it to address this issue,” he added.

(sundayobserver.lk)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by sundayobserver.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

The government is reportedly planning to bring an impeachment motion after Court of Appeal (CA) Chairman Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne submitted his pension letters to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Justice Karunaratne, who turns 63 on June 16, will step down from his duties in the CA effective February 1. 

The government now plans to appoint a senior CA judge to serve as acting CA President until his official retirement.

Meanwhile, the ceremonial sittings for newly appointed judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal are scheduled for this week. 

The Supreme Court will welcome Jstices Sobhitha Rajakaruna, Menaka Wijesundera, Sampath Abayakoon, and Sampath Wijeratne on Wednesday, while Justices Sarath Dissanayake and Pradeep Hettiarachchi will be introduced at the CA on Tuesday.

The Attorney General’s Department has reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s decision to overlook its nomination for the Supreme Court vacancies, signaling growing tensions within the department.

Several retirements, including those of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and CA President Karunaratne, are expected this year, prompting ongoing discussions about judicial appointments and succession.

Source – The Sunday Times

The Supreme Court of Cyprus has ruled to immediately release a Sri Lankan man from detention, highlighting the alleged risk of torture he faces if returned to his home country.

The court issued a habeas corpus order after rejecting a decision to keep him in custody, agreeing with the asylum service that he should not be deported to Sri Lanka due to the danger of inhumane treatment.

The case, as detailed in the supreme court’s decision, dates back to 2017, when the man applied for a renewal of his residence and work permit in Cyprus, which was granted. However, his asylum application, filed in February 2018, was rejected by the asylum service in 2020.

In May 2020, the man appealed the decision in the administrative court of international protection, but the appeal was dismissed later that year. A second asylum application was also rejected in January 2023, and a further appeal was denied in March 2023.

On 5 January 2024, when the man attempted to cross from the occupied areas of Cyprus into the republic, he was found to be living illegally in the country. He was arrested and placed in detention at the Menogeia detention centre for illegal immigrants.

During his detention, the man made it clear that he did not wish to return to Sri Lanka, but on 6 January 2024, detention and deportation orders were issued. However, due to his refusal to comply with the previous decision ordering him to return to Sri Lanka, the authorities determined that keeping him in detention was the only option.

On 15 January 2024, the man submitted a new asylum application. Then, on 22 February 2024, the authorities issued another detention and deportation order.

In August last year, the man’s asylum application was once again rejected, but the authorities acknowledged that returning him to Sri Lanka would place him at risk of torture.

The asylum service advised against deporting him, and the man appealed this decision to the administrative court of international protection in September 2024, with the case still pending.

In his appeal, the man argued that the lower court had failed to consider important new facts, making his continued detention unlawful. He also pointed out that the court had misinterpreted the law, as the reasons for his detention no longer applied.

The supreme court’s ruling supported the asylum service’s position that deporting the man to Sri Lanka would expose him to serious risks. The court referred to the principle of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, which allows individuals to challenge unlawful detention.

The court also noted that the man’s continued detention for almost a year was meant to facilitate his deportation. However, the authorities had indicated that deportation to Sri Lanka was not a viable option due to the risk he faced there, weakening the justification for his detention. 

(Cyprus Mail)