16 petitions filed in respect of the private member’s bill presented to Parliament by SLPP Parliamentarian Jayantha Ketagoda were today fixed for hearing on July 24 by the Supreme Court.
Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi, and several other parties had filed Special Determination petitions challenging the constitutionality of the private member’s bill presented to Parliament by SLPP Parliamentarian Jayantha Ketagoda to re-convene the dissolved Local Government Authorities without holding elections.
Parliamentarian Jayantha Ketagoda had brought a Private Member Bill titled “A Bill to Amend the Municipal Councils Ordinance (Chapter 252),” and it was published as a supplement to the Gazettes of June 26, 2023.
The petitioners stated that the proposed bill purports to postpone the election of the Municipal Councils without a specific date being mentioned. They further state that the purported amendment is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, which is the fundamental law of the country.
The petitioners stated that the proposed Bill sets a bad precedent as it creates a risk of abusing the legal framework to prevent holding timely elections, including national elections, and can lead to people losing faith in the entire democratic system in the country.
Through these petitions, the petitioners are seeking a declaration that the bill requires the approval of the people at a Referendum in addition to the 2/3 approval of the Parliament.
