The Supreme Court has ordered that the petition filed by former State Minister Diana Gamage challenging a decision taken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to cancel her party membership, be called on May 28.

This petition was taken up before the three-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Gamini Amarasekara, Kumuduni Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Samayawardhena today (10).

At the time, President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha who appeared for the petitioner Diana Gamage, requested for a date to inform the court of the decision to be taken regarding this petition.

Accordingly, the judge bench ordered that the relevant petition be called on May 28 and that the decision regarding the maintaining of this petition be announced on the relevant date.

Leader of the  Opposition Sajith Premadasa, General Secretary of the SJB Ranjith Madduma Bandara and several others have been named as respondents in this petition.

The SJB had earlier decided to expel Diana Gamage from the party citing that she had failed to comply with the unanimous decision taken by the party to vote against the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, by voting in favour. The SJB had also highlighted that this was a serious violation of party discipline, and that the Opposition Leader and the SJB’s leader Sajith Premadasa decided to suspend her party membership for the reputation or well-being and prosperity of the party.(adaderana.lk)

(This story, originally published by adaderana.lk) has not been edited by SLM staff)

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh May 10 -15.

His trip will strengthen bilateral cooperation with each country and demonstrate U.S. support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

In Chennai, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with Consulate personnel to bolster bilateral engagement in southern India.

He will then travel to Colombo to engage with officials from across the political spectrum and deepen the United States’ partnership with Sri Lanka. In his meetings, he will reaffirm the United States’ support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, as well as the importance of a robust civil society as a cornerstone of a free and democratic society.

Assistant Secretary Lu will conclude his trip in Dhaka, where he will meet with government officials, civil society leaders, and other Bangladeshis to discuss U.S.-Bangladesh cooperation, including on addressing the climate crisis and deepening economic ties.

Mujibur Rahuman was sworn in as a Member of Parliament today (May 10) morning.

He took oath as an MP in the presence of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana.

Issuing an extraordinary gazette on Thursday (09), the Elections Commission announced that Mujibur Rahuman was Declared Elected as a Member of Parliament to fill the vacancy created due to the determination of the Supreme Court canceling the Parliamentary membership of Diana Gamage.

However, in a letter to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus had urged to appoint a suitable female to the parliamentary seat of Diana Gamage.