SLPP files writ petition in SC against rejection of its papers for Maharagama UC Poll

Saturday, 23 December 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By S. S. Selvanayagam

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna yesterday (22) filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the rejection of its nomination papers for the Maharagama Urban Council in the forthcoming local government elections.

Petitioners P. P. Wijith Jagathchandra, K. T. Premalal Weerasinghe, R. G. Dayananda Weeerakoon, H. C. Chammin Jayasekera, Bandusena Jayasinghe, Indu Thunruwana Hewapathirana, Liyanage Karunarathne Sigera cited Returning Officer Damayanthi Wanigasinghe, Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Dehsapriya, members of the Elections Commission, respective Secretaries of the SLFP, the UNP and the JVP as well as the Attorney General as respondents..

Challenging the decision of the returning officer to reject their nomination paper, the petitioners claimed the decision was ultra vires of the powers vested in her by the law.

The Election Commission shall have all such powers, duties and functions conferred or imposed on or assigned to the Commission or the Commissioner-General of Elections, by the Constitution, they argued.

The petitioners objected to the 8th column where the gender of each candidate was to be stated. The gender of the candidate named under No.24, they pointed out, was inadvertently written as “male” instead of female.

This insertion was a mere clerical mistake made inadvertently, they stressed, adding that the name of the said female candidate had been included in a separate list of women candidates, which was also simultaneously submitted along with the nomination list.

The petitioners seek an order from the Supreme Court to quash the decision of the Returning Officer and plead for an Interim Relief suspending and/or restraining the respondent from taking further steps under the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance and/or other provisions of such law, to proceed with holding the election for the purpose of election of members to the Maharagama Urban Council until the final determination of this application.