SC stays acceptance of nominations to Kalmunai Municipal Council

The Supreme Court today further extended its interim order preventing the acceptance of nominations for the local government elections for the Kalmunai Municipal Council until final determination of a petition before the Court. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's three-judge bench, comprising justices Vijith Malalgoda, Yasantha Kodagoda, and Mahinda Samayawardena, granted leave to proceed with this Fundamental Rights application filed by two residents of the Sainthamaruthu area. The petitioners claimed that they were residents of Sainthamaruthu Urban Council, but Sainthamaruthu has not been included in a gazette notification issued calling for nominations. The petitioners alleged that the non-inclusion of Saindamarudu as an urban council in the gazette notification is tantamount to violating their fundamental right guaranteed under the constitution. The Chairman and Members of the National Election Commission, the Chairman and Members of the National Delimitation Committee, the Returning Officer for Ampara, and the Assistant Returning Officer were named as respondents in the petition. The petition was fixed for argument on March 24.