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Sri Lanka, which is making efforts to recover from an unprecedented economic crisis, has announced the holding of local council elections.
The National Election Commission is making preparations for the upcoming March 9 elections.
However, several petitions have been filed in the High Court against holding the elections.
In the midst of the economic crisis, a petition has been filed urging a ban on the holding of the election, and petitions have been filed demanding an order to hold the election.
In this situation, the High Court today gave its judgment on the petitions filed requesting to conduct the elections.
The High Court today announced that there is no need to issue an order to conduct the local council elections as the Election Commission has given assurances to conduct the elections in accordance with the law.
High Court Justice S. Durai Raja issued the order.
According to this, there is no restriction on the Election Commission to proceed with the process of conducting the elections.
The order was issued during hearings on the petitions filed by members of Parliament including Prof. G.L. Peiris demanding holding of local council elections.
The hearings on the petition seeking a ban on holding the elections have been adjourned till the 23rd.
The hearing on the petition seeking an order to suspend all activities for holding the local body elections scheduled to be held on March 9 has been adjourned.
The petition was filed by retired Colonel WMK Vijayasundarav.
President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris, appearing on behalf of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, said in the High Court that the petitioner’s side did not file the said petition properly.
He also stated in the court that the said petitioner has not submitted the documents to confirm that he is an accepted voter of Sri Lanka.
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File image
Thus, lawyer Saliya Peiris requested the court to reject this petition without taking it up for hearing.
However, the Additional Solicitor General Neryl Pulle has stated that in the affidavit filed in the High Court, the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice has taken a decision that the Cabinet has decided to spend money only on important needs amid the economic crisis facing the country.
Additional Solicitor General Neryl Bulle appeared in the High Court on behalf of the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General.
However, the court has adjourned the hearing on the case till the 23rd.
No money was given to conduct the election
The Election Commission reports that the letter sent by the Election Commission to the Ministry of Finance seeking funds to meet the expenses of February for the conduct of the local body elections has not yet received a response.
The Election Commission has informed the Finance Ministry that it needs 770 million rupees for February expenses alone.
However, according to the Election Commission, no response has been received till date.
Meanwhile, Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punjihewa says that he bows his head to the decision given by the High Court regarding the conduct of the election.
He also says that since he has got 25 million rupees in the first phase for conducting the elections, he is taking the initial steps with that.
image source, RAJAMANI PRASHATH
Rajamani Prasad, Local Government Candidate of Sri Lanka Labor Congress and Vice President of Kotakalai Divisional Council
A hot election field
Even though Sri Lankan elections are less than a month away, the election field has not heated up till today.
In the previous elections held in Sri Lanka, although the election campaigns started before the date of election was announced, now the campaign activities have been sluggish even after the election has been announced.
BBC Tamil asked Rajamani Prasad, the local council candidate of the Sri Lankan Labor Congress and Kotagala Pradeshiya Sabha vice president, regarding the non-start of the election campaigns.
“The question is whether the election will happen or not. Economic problems are facing everyone today. Banners and posters should be printed for the campaign. This has to be done by taking a loan from someone for the election. In this way, if the loan is taken for campaigning and after these works are declared, there is a fear of how to pay the interest on the loan and how to repay the loan.
If you contest the election and win, you can pay the salary. Not only that. We have made many promises to the people. It will not be possible to fulfill that too. So not only me, most of the candidates have not started campaigning yet,” said Rajamani Prasad.
image source, asmahroof
Pothuvil Pradeshiya Sabha P/6,7,8 Small Pudukudiripu Constituency Independent Candidate A.S. Maharup
A.S. Maharup, an independent candidate of Pothuvil Pradeshiya Sabha P/6,7,8 Chinnu Pudukudiripu, states that he has not yet started campaigning because of doubts about whether the election will take place.
Will there be an election? Isn’t it? I have a doubt. It seems unlikely to happen. Such is the situation in the country. There is a court case. I am not involved in the campaign because of those issues,” said independent candidate A.S. Maharup.
It is certain that most of the candidates have not yet started campaigning as there is still doubt as to whether the election will take place.
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