MR CAN FILE FR IF WISHED TO CONTEST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: GAMMANPILA

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa could file a Fundamental Rights (FR) Petition in the Supreme Court to obtain its opinion whether he could contest at the Presidential Election, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila said addressing a news briefing yesterday.

There is speculation in political circles that according to the opinion of some legal experts, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is not debarred from contesting the Presidential Election for the third time.

“Anybody who wishes to bring former President back to the office can also file an FR petition in the SC, emphasizing that his or her suffrage would be violated if somebody else other than Mahinda Rajapaksa contested,” he said. “It is hard for me to express my thoughts on the opinion expressed by legal experts like Nihal Jayawickrama because I have not referred to their source based on which they say that former President is eligible to contest,” the MP said. However, he said Mr Rajapaksa could file an FR petition in the SC so that the Supreme Court could order the Elections Commission to allow the ex-president to contest. Meanwhile, he said the Government was deliberately attempting to delay the Elections to the Provincial Councils, blaming it on the contradictions in the electoral system, under which the elections should be held.