The Court of Appeal today dismissed a writ petition filed by fomer Chief Minister of Uva Shashindra Rajapaksa seeking to prevent the appointment of Harin Fernando as the Chief Minister of the province.
Rajapaksa, in his petition, said the UPFA still had the majority of the council. He stated that Fernando's appointment was illegal on the basis that he was a member of the United National Party which only had a minority in the Uva Provincial Council.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition after preliminary objections raised by Harin Fernando's lawyers. In their preliminary objections, Fernando's lawyers said Rajapaksa had failed to produce the gazette notification pertaining to the new Chief Minister's appointment.
Uva Governor Nanda Mathew appointed Fernando as the Chief Minister after 17 members of the council gave affidavits pledging support to Fernando who was then the Leader of the Opposition of the Council.
