Supreme Court dismisses FR petitions against election date in Sri Lanka

The Supreme Court  today dismissed the Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed against the date set for the Parliamentary elections.

After several days of submissions, the court convened today to deliver an order.

The Supreme Court has refused to grant leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petitions filed challenging the date set by the Elections Commission for the General Election and all Fundamental Rights petitions filed with this regard will be dismissed without being taken up for hearing.

Attorney at Law Charitha Gunaratne, the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), journalist Victor Ivan, and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya have filed Fundamental Rights petitions over the date of the election.

The petitions were heard before the Supreme Court’s five-member judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, and Vijith Malalgoda

The National Elections Commission has set 20 June to hold the Parliamentary election. However, the National Elections Commission is to propose a new date for the Parliamentary Election.

NEC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya had said yesterday that the NEC has already informed the Supreme Court through its lawyers that the election cannot be held on 20 June because of issues related to the coronavirus. 

The Attorney General, on behalf of the President, Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya, and Members of the Commission N. J. Abeysekara and Ratnajeevan Hoole have been named as respondents of the petition.