Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court grants permission to hold 2023 Local Government Election

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has granted permission to hold the 2023 Local Government Election as planned by the National Election Commission.

The Supreme Court has stated that the National Election Commission is bound to protect the voting rights of the people.

The Supreme Court observed that since the Election Commission had already undertaken to hold the Local Government Election in terms of the Law, there is no need to issue a writ of mandamus to conduct it.

The matter was taken up in the presence of Supreme Court Justice S. Thurairaja, A. H. M. D. Nawaz and Shiran Gunaratne.

Retired Sri Lanka Army Colonel W. M. R. Wijesundara had filed an application with the Supreme Court seeking a writ order invalidating the preparations that are being made for the Local Government Election.

The Chairman of the Election Commission and its members, the Finance Secretary, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Attorney General were named as respondents in this application.

In addition, two writ petitions filed by SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduman Bandara and MP Professor G.L. Peiris, who sought an order to hold the Local Government Election moved the Supreme Court to terminate case proceedings since the Election Commission has given an undertaking to hold the Election in terms of the Laws.

Accordingly, today (February 10) the Supreme Court terminated case proceedings in respect of these two writ petitions.

Romesh de Silva PC appeared for Prof. G.L. Peiris. Sanjeeva Jayawardena PC with Lakmini Warusevitane appeared for the four parliamentarians. Saliya Pieris PC appeared for the Election Commission.