By Amindha de Alwis

The group comprising of K. Mathivanan, Nishantha Ranatunga and BandulaWarnapura who are contesting the forthcoming Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) elections, reiterated that the incumbent office bearers of SLC were illegally remaining in office, adding that they have filed multiple objections against the Shammi Silva-led administration and their bid for re-election.

Mathivanan is contesting the President’s post at the May 20 elections, while Ranatunga is contesting for the Secretary’s post and BandulaWarnapura, a first-time contestant, is in the running for one of the three Vice President slots.

Last month, in a letter addressed to Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa, the Colombo Colts Cricket Club, in its capacity as a controlling member of SLC called into question whether the present office-bearers of SLC are “legally entitled to hold office or exercise the powers of the office anymore” claiming that the office-bearers who were elected on February 21, 2019 would have seen their two-year tenure lapse on February 20 of this year.

Ranatunga, the President of Colts CC, at a press conference held at the club yesterday, stated that they had been informed that the matter has been referred to the Attorney-General for advice.

He went on to comment that objections had been submitted pertaining to the candidature of eleven contestants for the upcoming elections alleging their unsuitability/ineligibility to act as honourary office-bearers of SLC in terms of the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973, the amendments made to the Act, the rules and regulations as well as the constitution of SLC.

While the objections were quashed by the Election Committee, Ranatunga said that the Mathivanan-led camp intend to appeal once again to the Appeal Committee today (19) professing dissatisfaction with the decision/reasons given by the Election Committee.

The candidates whose nominations have been called into question are Shammi Silva, Mohan de Silva, Jayantha Dharmadasa, Ravin Wickramaratne, Bandula Dissanayake, Nalin Aponso, KrishanthaKapuwatta, ShammiGunasekara, SujeewaGodaliyadda, Lasantha Wickramasinghe and Ananda Kumara.

Furthermore, Ranatunga said that another objection has been put forward relating to the non-submission of the SLC accounts to the Auditor General by February 28, 2021.

“They have not got the approval from the Executive Committee and submitted their accounts to the Auditor General by February 28. We have put our objections for this as well. It is a violation of the constitution. We have got evidence with us and it is a huge lapse. If the Board Officials – the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer or any of the signatories of the board cannot get the approval from the Executive Committee for the annual audit before February 28, 2021 they cannot apply for any positions in the forthcoming elections,” Ranatunga stated.