Charitha Gunaratne, a former Colombo Municipal Councilor and a lawyer has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition in the Supreme Court (SC) seeking an interim injunction against holding a general election amid the coronavirus pandemic, reports Colombo Page on May 2. The petitioner requests the SC to declare that the gazette notification issued by the Election Commission (EC) announcing the general election on June 20 is unconstitutional and invalidate the gazette notification. Chairman of the EC Mahinda Deshapriya and its members N.J. Abeysekara, Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole, Secretary to the President Dr. PB Jayasundara, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe and the Attorney General have been named as respondents.
Separately, eight others on May 5 filed FR petitions challenging the June 20 Parliamentary election, reports Daily Mirror. Petitioners Victor Ivan, T.M. Premawardana, Prof. Anton Meemana, A.M Jiffry, S. Sivagurunathan, Mahinda Hattaka, M.S Jayakodi and Dr H.D.S.F.D Hearth cited Attorney General, EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya and its members N. J. Abeysekera and Ratnajeevan Hoole as Respondents. They maintain that in any event a free and fair election cannot be held on 20th June 2020 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in respect of the same.