President Ranil Wickremesinghe supports the National Election Commission’s decision to hold the Presidential Election in 2024, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).
The PMD further said the President is firmly of the opinion that the term of the President is 5 years.
The President’s statement comes in response to a petition submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday by businessman Chamindra Dayan Lenawa requesting an interpretation of the tenure of the current President in accordance with the Constitution.
As per the PMD, President Ranil Wickremesinghe states Chamindra Dayan Lenawa has not consulted the President or his lawyers before filing this Application in the Supreme Court.
Issuing a statement, the PMD said it has been brought to the attention of the Government that one Chamindra Dayan Lenawa has filed an Application in the Supreme Court under and in terms of Articles 126 read with Articles 12(1), 82(6), 3, 4, 118 and 125 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka praying, inter alia, for a declaration that Article 30(2) should not be interpreted to be amended ab initio by Section 3 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
In his petition, Chamindra Dayan Lenawa claims that accordingly, the Election Commission shall hold the next presidential election taking into account that the term of the office of the President is 6 years.
The petitioner has sought an interim order restraining the members of the Election Commission from taking any further steps in conducting a Presidential Election in 2024 until the Supreme Court determines this Application. (Newswire)