Sri Lanka election date unconstitutional claims petition filed in SC

Colombo, Oct 21 (PTI) A petition was filed in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Monday pleading that the decision to hold the parliamentary election on November 14 be declared unconstitutional.
     The attorney general, the secretary to the president and members of the independent election commission have been named respondents in the petition filed by a civil society activist.
     The petition states that the election must be held on a date which is not less than five weeks from the closure of nominations which was October 11. The date must also not exceed seven weeks from the closure of nominations, it said.
     The election must be held on November 15 and not on the current fixed date of November 14, it states.
     The violation of the rule makes the election unconstitutional, the petitioner claims.
     President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved Parliament immediately after he was elected in the September 21 presidential election.
     The snap parliamentary election is to take place 10 months ahead of its August 2025 schedule.
     As many as 225 members are to be elected to Parliament on the district proportional representation system.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)