Writ petition filed in SC to restrain holding of CMC elections | Page 3 | Daily News

Writ petition filed in SC to restrain holding of CMC elections

The Jathika Janatha Pakshaya(JJP) yesterday, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, seeking an Interim Order restraining the Election Commission from taking further steps under the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, to proceed with holding elections to the Colombo Municipal Council.

Three members of the Jathika Janatha Pakshaya (JJP), including its Secretary, filed the petition in the Supreme Court naming Election Commission’s Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya and several other respondents. They are seeking an order in the nature of a writ of Mandamus, directing the Returning Officer appointed for the Colombo Municipal Council, to accept the nomination paper delivered to the Election Officer by the authorised agent of the JJP for the election of members to the CMC.

Three petitioners, namely Ruwan Wijesinghe, Shayama Damayanthi and Srinath Perera PC (Party Secretary), had filed the petition naming the Assistant Commissioner of Elections (Colombo District), Election Commission’s Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya and several others as respondents.

The petitioners said that the nomination papers of the Jathika Janatha Pakshaya, were prepared in terms of Section 28(2) and in accordance with the format specified in the Local Authorities Election Ordinance for the election of the Colombo Municipal Council. The petitioners stated that on December 21, 2017, two original sets of nomination papers were delivered to the first respondent by the third petitioner (Party Secretary) of the Party.

They further said that at the conclusion of the period set apart for the purpose of the Jathika Janatha Pakshaya had been rejected due to the fact that the requisite number of candidates had not been included in the nomination paper so tendered.

They further stated that they were unaware whether any objections were tendered by any one in respect of the nomination papers tendered by the third petitioner.

The petitioners are unaware of the name of the individual candidates whose names were included in several nomination papers that were submitted by various political parties and independent groups.


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