By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal | Reuters – 14
hrs ago
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's main opposition said on
Wednesday the chief justice, facing an impeachment motion moved by the ruling
party, must be given a chance to cross-examine witnesses amid a standoff
between the judiciary and the government .
The dispute has raised
the risk of a destabilizing clash, with both sides on a collision course since President Mahinda Rajapaksa's
ruling party filed the motion against Shirani Bandaranayake, Sri Lanka's first
female head of the Supreme
Court, last month.
The United States, the
United Nations and the Commonwealth have raised concern over the impeachment
move and have called on the government to ensure the independence of the
judiciary.
John Amaratunga, a
legislator in the main opposition United National Party and a member of the
impeachment committee probing the charges, said the chief justice must be given
a chance question witnesses.
"The chief justice
or her lawyers must be provided an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses and
documents collected," he told reporters. "It is only then that the
select committee has to determine whether the chief justice is required to
disprove the charges."
Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, the elder brother of
the president, has appointed an 11-member select committee, of whom seven are from the
ruling party, to investigate the 14 charges ranging from hidden wealth to
professional misconduct.
Bandaranayake recently
came under criticism from government supporters for ruling against a bid by the
central government to take control of an 80 billion rupee ($614.20 million)
development budget, saying it had to be approved by nine provincial councils.
The opposition's request
came as judges on Monday demanded an impartial and transparent inquiry into the
charges, labeling the government's decision to appoint its own committee to
probe the ruling party's allegations a "a blatant violation of natural
justice.
Chamal Rajapaksa last week rejected a
Supreme Court summons challenging the legality of the impeachment move and the
composition of the select committee. The Supreme Court rescheduled the hearing
to December 13 and 14.
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
