Another petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the private member’s bill presented to the parliament by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda seeking amendments to the Municipal ordinances on urban councils and municipal councils.

The second petition was filed by the general secretary of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Ranjith Madduma Bandara, naming the Attorney General as its respondent.

The petitioner says the private member’s bill tabled by MP Ketagoda seeks to amend the Provincial Councils Ordinance and the Urban Councils Ordinance in order to empower the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Government to re-convene the dissolved local government bodies without holding the elections.

Further, the petitioner raises concerns about the parliamentarian’s attempt to empower the subject minister to extend the tenure of the re-convened local government bodies.

Pursuant to legal provisions, the local government elections should be held every four years, however, authorizing the subject minister to extend the tenure of LG bodies violates the people’s right to vote, the SJB general secretary further noted.

Accordingly, the petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to issue an order stating that the private member’s bill in question should be passed in parliament by a two-third majority and a referendum.

The first petition against MP Ketagoda’s private member’s bill was filed by the Executive Director of PAFFREL (People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections) Rohana Hettiarachchi.

Meanwhile, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) recently deplored MP Ketagoda’s private member’s bill, deeming it “anti-democratic”.

The rights group said this move would be a heavy blow to the people’s sovereignty enshrined in the Constitution.

“Local Government Members are the grass-root level public representatives. Regular elections are essential for the people’s mandate to be reflected in the LGAs (Local Government Authorities). In addition, this amendment sets a bad precedence as it creates a risk of abusing the legal framework to prevent holding timely elections, including national elections.”