President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has effectively ruled out granting a presidential pardon to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, stressing that his government will respect Supreme Court decisions and will not interfere with the judicial process.
Addressing the National People’s Power (NPP) women’s rally in Badulla on Sunday (October 18), the President said the government would accept the final decisions of the judiciary and warned that no one should expect the executive to overturn them.
Although the President did not specifically mention Gnanasara Thera or his imprisonment, his remarks appeared to be directed at the ongoing controversy surrounding the monk’s imprisonment and demands for a presidential pardon.
The President explained that Parliament was responsible for enacting laws, while institutions such as the police, Criminal Investigation Department and Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption were responsible for investigations and enforcement.
However, he stressed that the final authority to interpret and apply the law rested with the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court.
“When the Supreme Court delivers a judgment, some people start shouting, demanding that it be removed. How can a country function with laws like that?” the President questioned.
He said the government considered judicial decisions to be the authoritative determination of the law and would abide by them.
“We will abide by the decisions delivered by the courts. Beyond that, no one should expect decisions from us,” he declared.
The remarks come amid mounting demands from several Buddhist monks and opposition politicians for the release of Gnanasara Thera.
On September 10, the Supreme Court invalidated the presidential pardon granted to Gnanasara Thera by former President Maithripala Sirisena in 2019, ruling that the decision was unlawful.
Following the judgment, the Court of Appeal ordered on October 5 that the monk’s six-year prison sentence for contempt of court be enforced.
The decision has triggered protests by groups demanding his release, including a demonstration by Buddhist monks in Colombo.
The President’s latest remarks represent his clearest public indication yet that he is unwilling to intervene in the matter, although he stopped short of explicitly announcing a decision on a fresh presidential pardon.
Separately, government sources have indicated that the President would not grant Gnanasara Thera a pardon or yield to pressure to circumvent the law.
The President also warned against attempts to undermine the legal system, saying that a country where the law is applied equally to everyone is essential to ensuring a secure future for its children. (Newswire)
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