Declare Presidential poll gazette illegal: Petition

By S.S.Selvanayagam  

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court yesterday requesting to  issue a writ order declaring that the gazette notification to call for  Presidential Election as illegal.   

The petition was filed by former Galle Mayor Methsiri De Silva who cited Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, EC members   N.J.Abeysekara and S. Ratnajeevan Hoole as well as the Attorney General  as respondents   

In an extraordinary gazette issued on September 18, the  Elections Commission (EC) declared that the presidential election would  be held on November 16.   

According to the EC’s gazette, nominations for the poll would be called on October 7.   The Petitioner is seeking an interim order as well to restrain the chairman and the members of the elections commission preventing them from calling for nomination of candidates for the presidential election scheduled for October 7 this year.