COLOMBO — Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling party moved a motion in parliament Thursday to impeach the chief justice for violating the constitution, signaling a deepening rift between the government and the judiciary. Relations between Shirani Bandaranayake, Sri Lanka's first woman chief justice, and the government have been deteriorating over recent months. Her supporters say she has been trying to preserve the independence of the judiciary in a highly politicized environment, and as the government faces international pressure over its human rights record. The government disagrees. “Government members believe that the judiciary is overstepping its limits and (she) violated the constitution,” cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. “We handed over the impeachment motion with 117 signatures to the speaker,” Arundika Fernando, a member of Rajapaksa's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance said. — Reuters.
