No impediments to declaring Presidential Poll – Election Commission

The Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake says that there are no impediments to declaring the Presidential Election by the gazetting of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

Furthermore, the Elections Commissioner General stated that the commission has the power to fairly hold the upcoming elections despite any incoming influence.

Earlier today, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was published in the Government Gazette by order of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

On Thursday (18), Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe had instructed his ministry’s secretary not to publish the Gazette notification on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution until the Presidential Election is held.

The Justice Minister had claimed that this decision was made in order to eliminate the uncertainty regarding the holding of the presidential election.

This amendment enables the paragraph (b) of Article 83 of the Constitution pertaining to the President’s term to be amended by replacing the words “to over six years” with the words “to over five years”.