Ranjan Ramanayake, who was sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labor for contempt of court, will have his parliamentary seat revoked, according to the President’s Counsel Mr. U.R. de Silva had stated this to the media on the last 12 days.
Commenting further, he said:
“Once a sentence has been handed down by an ordinary court, it has the power to appeal. It is not possible to do so in this case. Because it was the Supreme Court that considered whether there was contempt of court. Accordingly, Ranjan Ramanayake’s parliamentary seat will be lose. He cannot come to Parliament as a Member of Parliament and do anything about it. Accordingly, action will be taken only if the President grants a pardon after 4 years or so. ”
Accordingly, it has been stated that Mr. Ranjan Ramanayake will lose his seat and his right to vote for another 7 years from the end of his imprisonment.
However, Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake says that further action will be taken after receiving the decision of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, political sources say that if Ranjan’s seat is abolished, his seat will be held by former state minister Ajith Mannapperuma, who contested from the Gampaha district.
Ranjan Ramanayake, who contested for the Gampaha District from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party in last year’s parliamentary election, came second in the preferential list, while Mannapperuma came fourth. The Samagi Janabala Vega Party won 4 seats in the Gampaha District.