July 14, Colombo (LNW): A three-member panel of judges has been appointed to review a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition that seeks to halt the upcoming Presidential Election, citing improper passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
The petition, filed by Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri, will be considered by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, along with Justices Arjuna Obeysekara and Priyantha Fernando.
The petition is scheduled for review on Monday (15).
The petitioner contends that the 19th Amendment was not properly enacted in Parliament and calls for a referendum to confirm its legitimacy.
Named respondents include the Election Commission and its members, the General Secretary of Parliament, and the Attorney General.
The petition claims that the amendment altered Article 70 of the Constitution, removing the President’s power to dissolve Parliament after one year.
It argues that the amendment was not subjected to a referendum, despite a Supreme Court ruling that it should have been.
The petitioner asserts that without a referendum and Presidential assent, the 19th Amendment cannot be considered valid law and should not be enforced.
This development follows the Supreme Court’s dismissal of another FR petition on Monday (08), which sought to delay the Presidential Election until the court provided an interpretation of the election date.
That petition was filed by entrepreneur C.D. Lenawa on Wednesday (03).
