SC concludes hearing President’s reference application on PC polls

The Supreme Court has concluded its hearing on the reference application by the President, seeking the opinion of the court on holding the Provincial Council election without the Report on Delimitation of Electorates.

The Supreme Court will officially inform its decision to President Maithripala Sirisena in due time, Ada Derana reporter said.

The reference application was taken up before a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Prasanna Jayewardene and Vijith Malalgoda this morning (23).

At the commencement of the hearing, the Chief Justice told the court that 13 written submissions have been handed over by various parties with regard to the President’s reference application on the Provincial Council elections.

President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayewardene, speaking on behalf of one of the parties, said the report on the delimitation of the boundaries of provincial councils was defeated in the Parliament by 139 votes.

Hence, the Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has appointed a five-member committee chaired by the Prime Minister to revise the report on the delimitation of electorates, Jayewardene told the court.

He pointed out that the President, disregarding the parliamentary procedure and the law, has sought the opinion of the Supreme Court on holding the PC elections in the absence of the delimitation report.