The further hearing of the petition filed by Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando, challenging the decision taken by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to oust them from the party and disqualify them of their parliamentary seats, has been postponed until 27 October by the Supreme Court.

The relevant order was issued by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Gamini Amarasekera and Arjuna Obeysekera, when the petition was called in court this morning (23 Oct.),

The further hearing of the relevant petition was postponed in light of the absence of the Justices that participated in the initial hearing, which took place on 12 October.

On 18 July, the SJB Working Committee decided to expel Fernando and Nanayakkara from the party.

In May 2022, the SJB had suspended the party membership of the two parliamentarians after they had accepted ministerial portfolios in the government while the party had vowed to take disciplinary action against them.

MPs Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara were sworn in as the Minister of Tourism & Lands and Minister of Labour & Foreign Employment, respectively.

Fernando and Nanayakkara had said they accepted ministerial portfolios in the government under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to do their utmost to find solutions to the ongoing economic crisis as a positive response was not received from many political party leaders for a collective effort.

They both subsequently resigned from their ministerial portfolios on July 9, 2022 along with the rest of the Cabinet, after then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa informed the Speaker of Parliament that he intends to resign.

However, they were both reappointed to the same ministerial portfolios by incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe when he appointed a new Cabinet on July 22, 2022.