Sri Lanka's Chief Justice demands diplomatic post in exchange for resignation

Sri Lanka's Chief Justice has demanded a diplomatic post overseas as a condition for his resignation, triggering flak within the judiciary, a senior lawyer said on Friday.

Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President Upul Jayasuriya told Xinhua that emergency meetings by the association would be held on Friday and Saturday to decide if they would continue to recognize Peiris as the Chief Justice.

"We have urged for his resignation as he is one of the suspects in the investigation into an alleged coup attempt by the former government. He is unfit to hold office and we will convene meetings today and tomorrow to discuss the matter," Jayasuriya said.

"He has asked for some diplomatic posts overseas as a condition for his resignation," Jayasuriya said, adding that such a condition had bought shame to the entire judicial system in the country.

The Chief Justice has reportedly asked for a diplomatic post to London, Brazil or Rome.

Although the government said earlier this week that Peiris had tendered his resignation, a lawyer told reporters on Thursday that Peiris had not resigned.

"It was reported in the media that Chief Justice Peiris has resigned from office. However there is absolutely no truth to these claims," Wijeratne Kodipilli, who claimed himself the spokesman for the Chief Justice, told journalists outside Colombo' s court.

Peiris has been under mounting pressure from the BASL as well as the government to resign due to his presence at the presidential office shortly after the Jan. 8 election.

It is alleged that former President Mahinda Rajapakse and his close aides had been discussing the possibility of a coup, after results revealed his defeat in the presidential vote.

Although the former government denied allegations of the coup attempt, the matter was being investigated after a complaint had been lodged to the Criminal Investigations Department by the newly- elected government. Endi