INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed before the Supreme Court by Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara seeking the
them of their parliamentary seats, will be taken up for hearing on 12 October.The relevant order was issued when the petition was considered
before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court today (10 Oct.).Meanwhile, the attorneys who appeared on behalf of the respondents informed
the court that the hearing of the relevant petition must be completed within two months from the date it was filed, as per the Constitution
of Sri Lanka.Considering the facts presented, the court ordered the petitioning party to file their counter objections, if any, within today
among those named as the respondents.On 18 July, the SJB Working Committee decided to expel Fernando and Nanayakkara from the party.In May
2022, the SJB had suspended the party membership of the two parliamentarians after they had accepted ministerial portfolios in the
government while the party had vowed to take disciplinary action against them.MPs Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara were sworn in as
the Minister of Tourism - Lands and Minister of Labour - Foreign Employment, respectively.Fernando and Nanayakkara had said they accepted
ministerial portfolios in the government under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to do their utmost to find solutions to the ongoing economic
crisis as a positive response was not received from many political party leaders for a collective effort.They both subsequently resigned
from their ministerial portfolios on July 9, 2022 along with the rest of the Cabinet, after then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa informed the
Speaker of Parliament that he intends to resign.However, they were both reappointed to the same ministerial portfolios by President Ranil
Wickremesinghe when he appointed a new Cabinet on July 22, 2022.
