Colombo: Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has
informed President Maithripala Sirisena that the duration of
his term of office is five years after he sought the apex
court's opinion on whether he can continue in office until
2021.
Sirisena, 66, had requested the country's apex court to
determine whether his term is six years as stated by the 1978
Constitution when he was sworn in on January 9, 2015 or five
years as mentioned by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution
which was enacted on May 15, 2015.
President made the unusual request as different views
were expressed in the legal, civil and political circles about
the duration of the term of Presidency after the enactment of
the 19th Amendment.
The court ruled that Sirisena's term in office is
limited to five years from 2015 January, the Presidential
media unit said today.
His term would now end in January 2020 and the next
presidential election would have to be announced in November
of 2019.
Sirisena's request to the apex court came as a surprise
for many as he made arrangements in 2015 through the 19th
Amendment to prune the presidential term from six to five
years.
He had also backed the civil society's demand to abolish
the presidency when he was declared the Opposition's common
candidate in 2015. Sirisena had defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa in
the 2015 election.
Instead of abolishing the presidency, Sirisena introduced
the 19A which reduced the presidential term for five years
while taking away his absolute control over the dissolution of
Parliament.
Sirisena's request to the Supreme Court caused quite a
stir when Rajapaksa declared that he could run for president
again if the court ruled in favour of Sirisena.
The 19A has also barred two term presidents, including
Rajapaksa, from running for a third time.
PTI
