Members of the Joint Opposition staged a silent protest outside the headquarters of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday morning, demanding the immediate resignation of its president, Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya.
The protesters alleged that Amarasuriya was using one of the country’s leading professional bodies to advance political interests, NewsFirst reported.
The case the protesters made
Joint Opposition Executive Committee member Priyantha Thilakaratne argued that every government elected by the people holds a mandate to develop the country and implement reforms where necessary, and that opposing such reforms on political grounds was inappropriate for a professional body of the Bar Association’s standing. He described what he called the politicisation of the organisation as “shameful”, and said a BASL president should remain impartial and free of political influence.
Co-Convener Niruksha Kumara focused on Amarasuriya’s position on the 22nd Amendment, alleging that the president had become a political figure rather than the head of a professional association. Referring to a recent public appearance involving former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Kumara said Amarasuriya’s association with opposition figures undermined the neutrality the office requires, and that this alone was reason enough to step down.
Kumara also questioned a letter Amarasuriya previously sent to Parliament concerning alleged threats from government MPs, saying subsequent clarifications had raised questions about the matter. Drawing on other professional organisations that have been drawn into political controversy, he argued the BASL risked the same erosion of public trust.
A rival opposition group disowns the protest
Later on Monday, Dinith Chinthaka Karunaratne of Wickremesinghe’s media unit issued a statement on behalf of the People-Centric Joint Opposition Media Division condemning the demonstration.
The statement said the protest was viewed with strong disapproval and described it as a low and uncivilised act. It stressed that no member or affiliate of the People-Centric Joint Opposition had taken part in or been connected to the protest, rejecting any attempt to associate the group with it.
Pressure from both directions
The protest came on the same day that Amarasuriya and BASL Secretary Nalin De Silva filed a Special Determination petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ruling that the 22nd Amendment requires approval at a referendum. NewsFirst’s report does not say whether either action was a response to the other.
Amarasuriya has been at the centre of the dispute over the amendment for weeks. The BASL called on the government to abandon the Bill in its present form on August 12, and he has previously denied allegations made against him.
The report carries no response from Amarasuriya or the Bar Association to Monday’s protest.
