SJB to sue Treasury Secretary for contempt of court

By Sandun A Jayasekera   

The main opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has sent a ‘Letter of Demand’ (LoD) to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardana to release funds to the Election Commission (EC) to conduct Local Government (LG) polls immediately as ordered by a three judge bench of the Supreme Court or face contempt of Court charges.  

The senior vice president and the chief whip of the opposition Lakshman Kiriella said General Secretary of the SJB, Ranjith Maddumabandara has sent the LoD on Friday giving Siriwardana 7 days to respond.   

“If he does not release funds promptly to the EC within 7 days, we will file a Contempt of Court case against him next week,” Kiriella told Daily Mirror Yesterday.   
The government keeps ignoring, belittling and discrediting the highest court in the country by refusing to release funds to the EC. This is in a situation when the Central Bank raising nearly Rs. 185 billion through auctions and issuance of Treasury Bonds and Treasury Bills from March 1st to March 15th alone.   
Meanwhile Chairman of the EC, Mr. Nimal G. Punchihewa said whatever drawbacks, leg pulling and acts of sabotage are made to indefinitely postpone the conduct of LG polls, the EC has not given up hopes to hold the LG polls, as early as possible.   

Punchihewa told Daily Mirror that he could not understand why the Finance Ministry or the Treasury continuously rejects releasing Rs. 2 billion out of Rs. 10 billion passed for the EC from the budget 2023, which is sufficient to cover the cost of essential services and duties until the conclusion of the election.   

This is in spite of a clear ruling given by the highest and superior court in the country, the ‘Supreme Court’ ordering the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Attorney General and any other public official not to withhold funds duly approved by the legislature for the EC and promptly release money necessary to hold the LG polls, he stressed.   
”I am eagerly waiting for a positive response from President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is also the Finance Minister for my letter sent to him some 10 days ago requesting to release sufficient funds to hold the LG polls,’ Punchihewa said.   

On the issue of the alleged failure to submit financial statements by certain registered political parties to the EC which is a statutory requirement, Punchihewa said most of the leading political parties have submitted their reports for the year 2021.