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Tuesday, 22 January 2019 00:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Nuwan Senarathna
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday said they will file a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court over the delay in holding Provincial Council elections citing it as a breach of the public’s right to vote.
“Former Chief Minister of the North Central Province S.M Ranjith and former Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa Maheepala Herath will file this Fundamental Rights petition shortly,” SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L Peiris told reporters at party headquarters.
He said the petition would be filed on behalf of the residents of the two provinces charging their right to vote has been violated for more than a year due to the delay in holding elections.
He noted the legal team of the SLPP would consult the two former Chief Ministers to draft the Fundamental Right petition that will be filed within the next few weeks. Prof. Peiris pointed out delaying Provincial Council elections hindered the democratic values of citizens. Six Provincial Councils had expired by the end of last year.
Prof. Peiris said SLPP would support the Government to hold elections of all Provincial Councils on the same day but that should not be lead to further delays. “If the Government wants to hold elections of all Provincial Councils on the same day all they have to do is to dissolve the remaining Provincial Councils and hold the election as soon as possible, otherwise they might use this as an excuse to further delay the elections until the term of the Uva Provincial Council also ends,” he added.
He pointed out the issues pertaining to the delaying of Provincial Council could be solved through the Parliament without seeking involvement of the Supreme Court. He suggested the Government follow the Cabinet paper that was proposed to draft legislation to enable the Government to hold Provincial Council elections under the previous electoral system during the Sirisena- Rajapaksa 52 day Cabinet.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara on 18 January called on the Government to hold Provincial Council elections under the previous mechanism of electing representatives through a proportional representation system by passing the same Cabinet paper. United National Party (UNP) MP and Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Non-Cabinet Minister Ajith P. Perera has also called for the passing of legislation to allow the Government to hold Provincial Council polls under the old system as a one-off.
