The Attorney General yesterday informed the Court of Appeal that Jaffna District Parliamentarian Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna continues to hold office as a public officer, raising serious threat to the principle of separation of powers.

Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardhana PC, appearing on behalf of the State parties, made this revelation when the writ petition challenging Dr. Archchuna’s eligibility to serve as a Member of Parliament was taken up for support before the Court of Appeal.

He noted that a public officer concurrently serving as a Member of Parliament poses a serious threat to the principle of separation of powers.

At a previous occasion, the Attorney General informed Court that Dr. Archchuna remains interdicted from service due to a pending disciplinary inquiry. The Attorney General had further informed Court that documents substantiating that MP Archchuna remains interdicted from service have already been filed before court.

Meanwhile, Counsel N.K. Ashokbharan, appearing for the petitioner submitted to the Court of Appeal that Parliamentarian Archchuna is disqualified from being elected as a Member of Parliament, and from sitting and voting in Parliament, as he remains a public officer to date.

Counsel Ashokbharan, appearing for the petitioner, made this submission when the writ petition challenging Dr. Archchuna’s eligibility to serve as a Member of Parliament was taken up for support before the Court of Appeal.

He further submitted to the Court that the parliamentary seat in question has become vacant under Article 66(e) of the Constitution. He urged the Court to issue formal notices and grant interim relief preventing the said MP from functioning in his role until the final determination of the matter.

The Court of Appeal bench comprising of Justice Mayadunne Corea and Justice Mahen Gopallawa fixed the matter for further hearing on July 2.

Social activist Oshala Herath filed this petition seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Quo Warranto declaring that Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament.

The petitioner stated that Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna is a public officer attached to the Ministry of Health and, therefore, as a public officer, he has a contract with the state.

The petitioner stated that Article 91(1)(e) of the Constitution bars individuals who hold any interests in public contracts from election as a Member of Parliament.

The petitioner further stated that Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna functioned as Cover up Medical Superintendent of Chavakachcheri Base Hospital and was later annexed to the Teaching Hospital of Peradeniya. The petitioner stated that Dr. Archchuna’s Facebook profile, on or about 29th September 2024 publicly disclosed that he was interdicted pending disciplinary action by the then Secretary to the Ministry of Health. Therefore, the petitioner stated that Dr. Archchuna is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament under and in terms of Article 91(1)(d) and 91(1)(e) of the Constitution.

N. K. Ashokbharan with Shenal Fernando appeared for the Petitioner Oshala Herath. Senani Dayaratne with Nishadi Wickramasinghe appeared for MP Ramanathan Archchuna. ASG Sumathi Dharmawardhana PC appeared for the State parties.

A cross-section of Tamil political leaders and civil society representatives handed a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during his visit to the island, urging the United Nations to maintain a firm stance on accountability for mass atrocities committed in Sri Lanka and not allow the Sri Lankan government to exploit his visit to undermine international pressure.

The letter, titled “Need for a sincere and genuine approach to ensure accountability in Sri Lanka,” was delivered to Türk and expressed concern that his presence on the island was being used by the Sri Lankan state “as an exercise in boosting their legitimacy and to weaken the resolve of your office and that of the UN Human Rights Council to take concrete steps towards ensuring accountability in Sri Lanka.”

“Your Excellency’s visit to the island comes in the backdrop of 16 years of no significant progress on the question of accountability for crimes committed during the four-decade long war,” the signatories stated.

They criticised the current Sri Lankan administration for continuing the same oppressive policies as its predecessors, highlighting recent actions such as the gazetting of over 6,000 acres of land in the Northern Province as state land, the refusal to release private land in Thayiddy where a Buddhist temple has been constructed with military backing, and the state’s backtracking on repealing the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.

“These are just a few examples of why there has been no real change in Governmental policies towards Tamils and other numerically smaller communities,” the letter read.

A Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka, led by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, has visited China to attend a Workshop for Members of Parliament of Sri Lanka.

The workshop, organized by the International Cooperation Centre of the National Development and Reform Commission of China and sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China, commenced on 20 June and will conclude on 06 July.

According to a Parliament statement, the delegation consists of both government and opposition members who are office bearers and executive committee members of the Sri Lanka-China Parliamentary Friendship Association.

The government representatives included Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, and Members of Parliament Samanmali Gunasingha, Lakmali Hemachandra, Lieutenant Commander (Rtd.) Prageeth Madhuranga, Ajith Gihan, Krishnan Kalaichelvi, Dinindu Saman Hennayake, Bhagya Sri Herath, Aboobucker Athambawa, Ashoka Gunasena, and Thanura Dissanayake. The opposition was represented by Members of Parliament Kins Nelson, B. Ariyawansha, and Anuradha Jayaratne.

The delegation was accompanied by officials, including Chaminda Kularatne, Chief of Staff & Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament, Ranil Nanayakkara, Senior Parliamentary Protocol Officer from Parliament Secretariat, and Thilini Thusharika Gamage, Management Service Officer of the Office of the Leader of the House of Parliament.

The workshop’s opening ceremony was held on 22 June at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, in the presence of Chen Shuai, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation of the NDRC. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, Majintha Jayesinghe, also attended the ceremony.

On June 23, the delegation visited the National People’s Congress (NPC) and met with Wang Ke, Deputy Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress and Deputy Chairman of the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Group. During the meeting, both leaders discussed strengthening the existing cordial relations between China and Sri Lanka.

During their stay in China, the delegation will gain insights into various aspects of China’s national condition, including the prospects of the Development of the Belt and Road Initiative, Poverty Alleviation, Urban Development Planning, Digital Economy, Development and Application of Artificial Intelligence, Global Energy Transition, and Carbon Neutrality, among other interesting subject matters.

These discussions are expected to enhance the delegation’s understanding of China’s development experiences and foster stronger bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and China.

China has agreed to provide a $20 million grant for digitizing Sri Lanka’s current education sector, the government said.

A government document on this week’s cabinet decision said the project was given priority after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official tour in China in January this year.

The project will see provision of all the components necessary to a smart class room for selected 500 schools under the proposed project and to establish the Network Operation Management Unit, Program Operation Room and Conference Room.

Smart classrooms in Sri Lanka represent a growing effort to modernize the country’s education system through the integration of digital tools and technology-based teaching methods.

These classrooms are typically equipped with interactive whiteboards, projectors, tablets or computers, internet access, and digital learning content.

Both India and China have been in the forefront of funding such smart classrooms under the previous government.

Analysts say smart classrooms have been especially beneficial in subjects like science, mathematics, and language learning, where multimedia content can enhance comprehension.

However, implementation remains uneven, with rural and under-resourced schools often left out due to infrastructure and connectivity limitations.

International development partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and UNICEF have also supported these efforts, contributing to the digitization of classrooms and teacher training programs.