Rathana Thero’s expulsion from OPPP legally invalid, SC determines

The Supreme Court has determined that the decision of ‘Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya’ (Our Power of People Party or OPPP) to expel Venerable Athuraliye Rathana Thero from the party is not legally valid.

The verdict was delivered when the petition filed by Rathana Thero was taken up before Supreme Court Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Janak de Silva and Murdu Fernando today.

Disciplinary committee of the political party had announced the decision to revoke Rathana Thero’s party membership, by way of a letter dated October 15, 2021.

The petitioner’s legal counsel told the court that the OPPP’s disciplinary committee is not authorized to take disciplinary action against his client as per an agreement he had entered into with the OPPP as the head of the organization called ‘Vijaya Dharani Jathika Sabawa’.

After taking into account the submissions presented before the court, the judge bench determined that the OPPP’s decision to oust Rathana Thero from the political party was unlawful, thus nullifying the OPPP’s move.