July 30, Colombo (LNW): The National Peace Council has urged the government to reconsider its stance on the Supreme Court’s interim order restraining Deshabandu Tennakoon and to respect the Court’s decision to uphold the integrity of the country’s democracy and rule of law.
In a statement, the Council criticised the government’s refusal to implement the Supreme Court’s judgment as reckless and irresponsible, warning that it poses a direct threat to the rule of law.
The statement highlighted the government’s announcement to disregard the Supreme Court’s order preventing Tennakoon from continuing as the Inspector General of Police.
Despite this ruling, the government has maintained that Tennakoon will remain in his position.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena asserted in Parliament that the Supreme Court cannot overturn the approval granted by the Constitutional Council for Tennakoon’s appointment, while President Ranil Wickremesinghe, a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, has stated he will not appoint an acting IGP to avoid potential election petitions.
The Council expressed concern that the government’s position undermines the fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy, which depends on the separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
They emphasised that ignoring judicial decisions sets a dangerous precedent, potentially eroding public trust in the legal system and encouraging similar actions by other elected officials.
Citing the philosophies of John Locke and Montesquieu on the necessity of separating governmental powers to prevent tyranny and despotism, the Council lamented that the government’s actions contradict these principles and threaten the balance crucial to Sri Lanka’s democratic system.
They called on the government to seek legal channels for their appeals rather than disregarding court orders and condemned political efforts to bypass Supreme Court rulings as unacceptable.
