2023 LG Election postponement violated fundamental rights; SC orders immediate polls
August 22, 2024 12:04 pm
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that the President, as the Minister of Finance, and then members of the Election Commission have violated the fundamental rights of the poeple through the postponement of the 2023 Local Government Elections.
Accordingly, the court has ordered the Election Commission to take measures to hold the Local Government Elections as immediately as possible.
The Supreme Court issued this verdict today (22) after concluding the hearing of the Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed against the postponement of the 2023 Local Government elections.
The relevant FR petitions were filed against the postponement of the 2023 Local Government elections, which was initially scheduled to be held on March 09, 2023.
Several groups including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), and People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), had filed the petitions, seeking an order declaring that the fundamental human rights of the people have been violated by the failure to hold the 2023 LG elections, as previously scheduled by the Election Commissions.