Colombo (AsiaNews) - Respecting one of the promises made in his election manifesto, yesterday the newly elected President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, reinstated Shirani Bandaranayake in the office of Chief Justice. In 2012 the judge was the victim of a controversial impeachment, carried out by the executive of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Today Bandaranayake will present her
resignation, for the election of a new president of the Supreme Court. According
to rumors, her legitimate successor could be K. Sripavan, former judge (and the
oldest, ed) of the highest level of justice in the country.
Lawyers and members of civil society awaited the judge with garlands and bouquets
of flowers upon her arrival at the Supreme Court. The first woman to hold that
office, Bandaranayake
was removed from her position on January 11, 2013. The motion of impeachment
against her contained 20 charges, including undeclared assets and violations of
constitutional provisions.
In fact according to the Church, Buddhist leaders and members of civil society the
measure was a way to interfere with the judiciary, after a series of judgments
made by the Supreme Court against the state.
Instead of Bandaranayake, the previous government appointed the judge Mohan
Peiris, who has not yet
commented on the latest developments. For Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda, a member of
the Christian Solidarity Movement (CSM), "the actions of Peiris, a
Catholic, are despicable. He did not act like a Christian. He betrayed his
faith and God, behaving badly."