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SC dismisses petition to halt presidential election, imposes Rs 500,000 cost
By A.J.A. Abeynayake
The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a fundamental rights petition filed seeking an order to delay the presidential election and imposed a cost of Rs 500,000 to be paid by the petitioner before 31 July 2024.
This verdict was issued when the petition filed by Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri, seeking to delay the upcoming presidential election on the grounds that the 19th Amendment had not been passed properly, was taken up for consideration before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Arjuna Obeysekara and Priyantha Fernando.
The petitioner argued a referendum had to be held to pass the 19th Amendment.
The Election Commission and its members, the General Secretary of Parliament and the Attorney General had been named as respondents.
The petitioner said that the amendment had not been approved by a referendum even though a Supreme Court bench had ruled that the amendment should be referred to the people at a referendum.