Supreme Court rejects petition seeking to suspend Elpitiya PS polls

The Supreme Court today (Sept 25) dismissed the petition seeking to suspend the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha elections to be held on October 11.

A three-member judge bench ruled to dismiss the case without legal costs by declaring that there is no legal basis to hear the case.

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 case was taken up before Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Preethi Padman Surasena, and Gamini Amarasekara.

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.