Petition seeking to suspend Elpitiya PS elections fixed for tomorrow

The Supreme Court today (Sept 24) announced that a three-member judge bench is required to hear a petition which has been filed seeking an interim order to suspend the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha elections.

Accordingly, a two-member judge bench comprising Justices Murdu Fernando and S. Thurairajah before whom the petition had been taken up, had ordered that the case would be postponed until tomorrow.

Three residents of the Elpitiya area had filed the petitions claiming that the date for the poll had been decided without convening a meeting of the Election Commission (EC).

EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, and three other members of the Commission have been named as respondents to the petition along with the Returning Officer of the Galle district.

The Supreme Court had previously suspended the election which was due to be held in 2017 after the Democratic United National Front (DUNF) party had challenged the EC's decision to reject its nomination paper.

However, last month, court ordered the polls body to accept the nomination and conduct the elections. The EC then issued a gazette notification announcing that the elections would be held on October 11.