By A.J.A. Abeynayake
The Supreme Court has decided to consider the fundamental rights petition, submitted by the General Secretary of SJB, Parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara, requesting that the government be ordered to release the necessary funds for the conduct of the local government elections.
Madduma Bandara has requested the Supreme Court to rule that the respondents, including the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, have violated the fundamental rights of the people by not releasing the required funds to the Election Commission.
Accordingly, the apex court has decided to consider this petition on 03 March.
These orders were given following a request made by the President’s Counsel Upul Jayasuriya, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, to call for consideration of the relevant petition before 09 March.
The petition was taken up before the three-member Supreme Court bench consisting of the Justices S. Turairaja, Yasantha Kodagoda and Priyantha Fernando yesterday (27).