UC CA defers writ petition for July 26

Non-residents to Maharagama

The Court of Appeal yesterday (28) deferred for July 26 the Writ Petition challenging the election of non –residents to the Maharagama Urban Council.

The Bench comprised Justices P. Padman Surasena (President/ca) and Arjuna Obeysekera.

Court on May 16 issued notices on 23 members of the Maharagama Urban Council who had been elected on the Independent Group No: 2 returnable for 28. One of the registered voters Chandrasena Perera of Maharagama filed the Writ petition challenging the impugned 23 Respondents who had been declared as elected to the Maharagama Urban Council in the election held on February 10, 2018.

Faisz Musthapha PC with Amarasiri Panditharatne appeared for the Petitioner.

Petitioner states that the 23 respondents have assumed office as members of the Maharagama Urban Council and that on the date of the commencement of the preparation or revision of the parliamentary register for the time being in operation for the electoral district of Colombo in which the electoral area of the Maharagama Urban Council is situated the aforesaid respondents were not qualified to have their names entered in that register and he stated that on the first date of June in the year of the commencement of the preparation or revision of that register, which is the year 2017, these respondents were not ordinarily resident in that electoral area of the Maharagama Urban Council.