Sri Lanka's Supreme court concluded its hearing on Thursday over whether the Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena could hold his office for 6 years from the 9th January 2015, when he was sworn in as president.
Mr Sirisena had written to the Supreme Court asking if he could extend his term to 6 years, despite the 19th Amendment to the constitution stipulating that a president's term should not exceed 5 years.
The Amendment, brought in by the unity government, was heralded as a sign of its 'good governance' measures.
The Supreme Court hearing included five judges:Justices Eva Wanasundera, Buwaneka Aluvihare, Sisira de Abrew and K.T Chithrasiri. Colombo Page reported.
The Attorney General, Jayantha Jayasuriya told the court as Mr Sirisena had been sworn in prior to the enactment of the Amendment, he could hold office for 6 years.
*Article corrected to reflect that Supreme Court's hearing concluded on Thursday. The decision will be conveyed to the president.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
