Colombo: Sri Lanka`s former army chief Sarath
Fonseka`s brief stint as an MP has come to a sudden end in the
wake of his 30-month imprisonment for corruption in defence
deals, amid reports that the President may consider pardoning
him if a plea is made personally by him or a family member.
Sri Lankan Parliamentary Secretary General Dhammika
Kithulgoda today informed Election Commissioner Dayananda
Dissanayaka that the parliamentary seat of 59-year-old
Fonseka, who leads the opposition Democratic National Alliance
(DNA), has fallen vacant.
Authorities have requested the EC to nominate a person
for the seat in Fonseka`s place.
Fonseka is serving a 30-month jail term imposed by a
court martial after the ruling was approved by President
Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the commander in chief of
the armed forces of Sri Lanka. He was sent to jail on Thursday
last for corruption in defence deals during his tenure as the
army chief.
The Sri Lankan Parliamentary system allows the
candidate securing the second highest votes to succeed the
elected member of the respective constituency in the event of
the incumbent`s demise or disqualification.
An ordinance in this regard also clearly states that if a
member is jailed he loses his seat immediately, sources told.
Fonseka had contested the April 8 general elections from
the Colombo district constituency.
The Daily Mirror newspaper, meanwhile, reported that
Rajapaksa has said he would only consider a plea to release
Fonseka if it is made by the former army chief himself or a
member of his family.
The President said there was a laid down procedure
for the granting of pardon and that had to be followed, it
reported.
Rajapaksa said he would not consider any "politically
motivated" plea for Fonseka`s release.
Reacting to the move to disqualify Fonseka from
his parliamentary seat, DNA General Secretary Vijetha Herath
told PTI that the alliance will challenge the decision.
He said the opposition alliance will send a letter to
both the Election Commission and the Parliamentary Secretary
General as they have no right to disqualify him.
"We will also approach Supreme Court in this regard
shortly," he said. On reports that President Rajapaksa might consider a
request for pardon by Fonseka or his close relatives, Herath
said will not make such a plea.
Meanwhile, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya
Rambukwella said that had Fonseka`s wife Anoma wanted, she
could have taken the appropriate measures for getting him
released.
He noted that former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had
pleaded on many occasions for the release of her husband
Vijaya Kumaratunga when he was taken into custody by the J R
Jayawardena regime on charges of being involved with
the Naxalites.
The children and the closest relatives could request the
President for the release of Fonseka, he was quoted as saying
by the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).
"However, they are not doing so but engaging in a
political programme. Mr Fonseka has also stated that he does
not accept the verdict of the court martial," he said.
The minister pointed out that three of the members
of the military tribunal were also part of a court martial
appointed by Fonseka during his term as the army commander.
At that time, they functioned as the members of the
court martial against major general Parakrama Pannipitiya, he
said.
Rambukwella said he wondered how the members of the then
military tribunal could turn `bad members` now.
PTI
