SJB has submitted petition before the Supreme Court asking that certain clauses of the bill relating to municipalities and local councils which have been submitted to the Parliament are against the constitution. Sri Lanka Latest News
This petition was presented by Mr. Ranjith Maddumabandara, General Secretary of Samagi Jana Balawega.
The Attorney General has been named as the respondent.
The petitioner claims that Member of Parliament Mr. Jayantha Katagoda has submitted a new bill to the Parliament with the aim of adding an amendment to the Municipal Council Ordinance Act and the Local Council Act.
It is also stated that it has been included in the agenda of the Parliament on July 5th.
The said bill has empowered the minister in charge to recall the dissolved local government bodies and the authority to determine the tenure of the local government bodies that are recalled has also been entrusted to the minister in charge.
The petitioner has alleged that even though the law states that elections should be held once in four years for local government bodies, the right to vote is being violated by transferring the authority to extend the tenure of those bodies to the minister in charge.
Therefore, the petitioner has further requested the Supreme Court to give a decision that if the relevant Act is to be passed, it must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote in the Parliament and a referendum.
