Court prevents Sri Lanka main opposition from amending party constitution

A Sri Lankan court today issued an enjoining order preventing main opposition United National Party (UNP) from amending the party constitution to extend the tenure of the party leader to six years.
The Mount Lavinia District Court Judge Priyantha Fernando today issued the stay order until August 22 preventing an attempt by the senior party members to extend the leadership of the current leader Ranil Wickremasinghe for six years instead of the current two-year term. The judge also ordered the members of the UNP Working Committee including the leader to appear before the Court on August 22 in order to show cause. UNP Southern Provincial Councilor, Attorney-at-Law Maithri Gunaratne and two other lawyers filed a petition in the Mount Lavinia District Court seeking an order to annul the amendment to the party constitution. The petitioners had noted that the leadership of the party aided by its working committee had violated the party constitution by extending the office tenure of its leader to six years instead of a two year term.