Court rejected three petitions by JHU and JVP against CFA

Appeals Court judge S Sri Skandharajah rejected three petitions by two Sinhala nationalist parties seeking an injuction order against the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) signed in February 2002.

The petitions were filed by Peoples Liberation Front (JVP) and Buddhist-monk led Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a member of President Rajapaksa's coalition.

Tsunami joint mechanism

Judge Skandharajah rejected petitoners argument that Sri Lanka government cannot enter into agreements with separatist Tamil Tigers.

	JHU leaders went to courts against CFA and tsunami mechanism

The Supreme Court earleir quashed an attempt by Kumaratunga administration to establish a mechanism with the LTTE in order to rebuild tsunami affected areas.

Judge Skandarajah however observed that Supreme Court has not ruled it illegal to establish pacts with the LTTE.

Hense the CFA could not also be illegal, he ruled.

CFA "a mistake"

He further observed that judiciary has no authority to intervene government's policy decisions such as signing the CFA.

The Norwegian-brokered CFA was signed by the then Prime Minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe, and LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The internationally-hailed agreement was heavily criticised by Sinhala politicians as biased towards LTTE.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Roland Buerk, President Rajapaksa described it as "a mistake".