Supreme Court dismisses FR petition seeking to delay Presidential Election

The fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by businessman C.D. Lenawa seeking an order preventing the calling of a Presidential Election until the Supreme Court delivers its interpretation on the date of the presidential poll, has been dismissed by a five-member Supreme Court judge bench headed by the Chief Justice.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court concluded the hearing of the FR petition and the intervening petitions while the verdict in the case was announced by the Supreme Court at 12.30 p.m. today.

The petition was filed by an entrepreneur named C.D. Lenawa last Wednesday (3).

The petition requests that an interim order be issued to prevent the holding of the presidential election within the currently scheduled period until the court delivers its interpretation on the date of the next presidential election.

A five-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Vijith Malalgoda, Murdu Fernando, Preethi Padman Surasena and S. Thurairaja was named to consider the petition today.

Another four petitions for intervention had been filed pertaining to the Fundamental Rights petition.

The petitions for intervention were filed by the National People’s Power (NPP), Wasantha Mudalige of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Wimal Weerawansa of the National Freedom Front (NFF) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).