Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Upholds Expulsion of Defected Ministers

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has upheld the decision to expel Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party. This ruling results in the loss of their parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios. The court rejected their challenge against the expulsion.

In a landmark judgment on Friday, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court confirmed the expulsion of Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party.

Both Fernando and Nanayakkara initially defected to President Ranil Wickremesinghe's government in July 2022, amid a backdrop of economic turmoil and political chaos. They had contested their expulsion from the SJB, but the court's ruling upheld the party's decision to remove them.

Following the verdict, Fernando resigned, opening up one of three vacant ministerial spots in Wickremesinghe's cabinet, a reflection of the ongoing instability ahead of the upcoming September 21 presidential election.

(With inputs from agencies.)