LG Polls: Appeals Court issues injunction on Kekirawa Returning Officer

The Court of Appeal today (02) issued an interim injunction suspending the enforcement of a letter issued by the Returning Officer of Kekirawa requesting the appointment of female councilors to the seats won under the proportional representation system by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) at the recently concluded Local Government (LG) election for the Kekirawa Pradeshiya Sabha.

The order was issued by Court of Appeal Justice Gihan Kulatunga after considering a petition filed by two members of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Chandima Gamage and I.M.P.K. Ilangasinghe.

The Appeals Court announced that the interim injunction will be in effect until June 16.

The petitioners stated that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya secured four seats in the Kekirawa Pradeshiya Sabha, three of which were under the proportional representation system. They claimed that the Returning Officer had informed the party’s General Secretary of this outcome.

The petition further notes that the Returning Officer had mentioned in his letter that female candidates listed in either the additional nomination list or the primary nomination paper should be appointed to the three seats won under the proportional representation system.

However, the petitioners argue that the Returning Officer’s decision to appoint female members to these three proportional representation seats is inconsistent with the provisions of the Local Government Elections Act and requested the Court of Appeal to declare the decision null and void.