COLOMBO: The local government elections will be held as scheduled in Sri Lanka, according to an order from the Supreme Court in Sri Lanka on Friday, Feb 10.
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has granted permission for the 2023 Local Government Election to go ahead as planned by the National Election Commission.
The Supreme Court had noted that the National Election Commission is bound to protect the people’s franchise.
Further, the Supreme Court noted that orders were not necessary on the matter as the National Election Commission had already undertaken to hold the Local Government Election in terms of the Law.
The matter was taken up in the presence of Supreme Court Justice S. Thurairaja, A. H. M. D. Nawaz and Shiran Gunaratne.
Retired Sri Lanka Army Colonel W. M. R. Wijesundara had filed an application with the Supreme Court seeking a writ order invalidating the preparations that are being made for the Local Government Election.
The Chairman of the Election Commission and its members, the Finance Secretary, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Attorney General were named as respondents in this application.
In addition, applications were filed by SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduman Bandara, and MP Professor G. L Peiris seeking the court to dismiss the aforementioned petition without taking it up for examination.
Further, petitions were filed by MPs Dayasiri Jayasekera, Lakshman Kiriella, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, and M. A. Sumanthiran, PC seeking the court to issue an order to ahead with the Local Government Election.
Moreover, petitions were filed by Attorney Sunil Watagala, Eranga Gunasekera, and V. Chandrasekaran as intermediaries.
Recently, the Commissioner General of the National Elections Commission Saman Sri Ratnayake via an affidavit to the Supreme Court requested the court to order all the relevant factions to provide all necessary financial and other facilities required for the Local Government Election.
