Issuing a statement, the Secretary to the President said the decision was taken following a request made by the President for the opinion of the Supreme Court on the possibility of holding Provincial Council elections.
Since the delay in holding the PC elections bar people from exercising their universal franchise, the President had inquired from the Supreme Court about possibility of holding the elections.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court has issued its opinion on the matter of the possibility of holding a PC poll with respect to the application tendered by the President in this regard on August 29.
The President had sought the opinion of the Supreme Court on holding the Provincial Council elections prior to the Presidential elections under the previous Provincial Council Act, before it had been amended. The President’s query with the Court had been whether PC elections could be held without the implementation of the Report on Delimitation of Electorates.
The reference application was taken up before a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Prasanna Jayewardene and Vijith Malalgoda on August 23.