GL accuses govt. of trying to put off next presidential election

Convenor of the Janathawadi Joint Opposition, Prof. G. L. Peiris, on Sunday (30) said that they were suspicious of a possible attempt to put off the next presidential election. The former External Affairs Minister said that they were also seriously concerned about the holding of the next parliamentary polls.

He said so at a meeting held in Galle in support of the Opposition efforts against the 22nd Constitutional Amendment.

Referring to numerous NPP members declaring that they intended to remain in power for 20 to 25 years, Prof. Peiris pointed out that the enactment of the proposed Amendment would jeopardise the long-standing political party system. Underscoring the threat posed by what he called democratic backsliding, the former Minister warned that the possibility of the NPP seeking to put off national elections couldn’t be disregarded.

Presidential and parliamentary polls are due every five years. The last presidential and parliamentary polls were held in September and November, 2024, respectively.

Prof. Peiris pointed out that the NPP has already declared that the long delayed Provincial Council polls wouldn’t be held. The academic explained how the NPP, through the enactment of the 22nd Amendment, could take hold of the judiciary. If it were to happen, it would be the end of democracy here, Prof. Peiris warned, emphasising the need to oppose the NPP’s steady march towards dictatorship.

The real issue was not the move to extend the retirement ages of superior court judges as well as judges of other courts, including High Court but the clandestine machinations to make the judiciary part of the political apparatus, Prof. Peiris said.

Referring to the recent retirement of the senior justice of the Court of Appeal, Dhammika Ganepola, and the impending retirement of the senior-most justice of the Court of Appeal, justice R. Gurusinghe, Prof. Peiris demanded to know why they were not promoted to the Supreme Court. Lashing out at the government over its retirement of several superior court judges during the past several months, the ex-Minister alleged that the 22nd Amendment was not meant to address the real issues faced by the judiciary but a transparent political strategy but to extend the term of government through underhand means.

Prof. Peiris compared the ongoing constitutional crisis and the way Murdhu Fernando, who served as the Chief Justice, during December 2024 to July 2025, retired without any issue. According to Prof. Peiris , the government created a catastrophic situation by seeking to extend the retirement ages of some at the expense of judicial independence. (SF)