Attorney-at-Law Charitha Gunaratne has filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court demanding that the Election Commissions gazette notification which is to be postponed to June 20, be violated by the Constitution.
The respondents are Mahinda Deshapriya, the Chairman of the Election Commission and its members NJ Jayasinghe. Abeysekera, Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole, Secretary to the President Dr. PB Jayasundara, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe and the Attorney General have been named.
Petitioner contends that the Elections Commissions decision to postpone the general election scheduled for April 25 to June 20 is unconstitutional. That it is essential to hold .
He pointed out that a general election held beyond that time period is unconstitutional and that the Parliamentary Elections Act has stipulated that elections should be held within five to seven weeks from the date of the nomination.
Accordingly, the Elections Commission is obliged by law to hold the general election before the 13th of May.
The petitioner pointed out that the Covid – 19 epidemic has created a huge insecurity in the country.
Accordingly, the petitioner requests the ruling of the Elections Commission to hold a general election on June 20, which is a violation of fundamental rights.
In addition, the petitioner has requested for an interim injunction preventing a general election from being heard until the final verdict of the petition is filed and requested to issue a gazette notification for the general election on June 20.