5 November 2024 08:15 am Views - 54
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda
A Fundamental Rights petition filed by a civil society activist challenging the Election Commission’s decision to hold the Parliamentary Election on November 14 was dismissed yesterday by the Supreme Court.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Shiran Gooneratne, and Priyantha Fernando, decided to dismiss the petition in limine (at the outset), taking into consideration the facts presented by both the petitioner and respondent parties.
Additional Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne, appearing for the Attorney General, submitted to the court that the date of the election has been correctly set by the President in accordance with the Parliamentary Elections Act. He further stated that all necessary measures related to the election have already been completed.
H.M. Priyantha Herath, the convenor of the ‘Api Sri Lanka’ organisation, filed the petition, alleging that the Election Commission failed to call for nominations and set a date for the General Election in accordance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act. The petitioner had cited the Attorney General, the Secretary to the President, the Chairman of the Election Commission and its members as the respondents.
The petitioner stated that as per section 10 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, the period for accepting of nominations to be declared from October 4 to October 11.