Sri Lankan Court Dismisses Election Date Dispute

The Sri Lankan Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the constitutionality of holding the parliamentary election on November 14. The petition, filed by activist Priyantha Herath, claimed the date violated rules regarding the election timeline. The upcoming snap election follows the recent presidential election win by Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the constitutionality of scheduling the parliamentary election for November 14. The petition, filed by civil society activist Priyantha Herath on October 21, argued that the election date breached the timeframes stipulated following the closure of nominations on October 11.

The petitioner claimed the election should be held on November 15 to comply with legal requirements, not the fixed date of November 14. Herath asserted that holding the election earlier rendered it unconstitutional. Despite these arguments, the court declined to hear the petition.

This snap election follows President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's decision to dissolve parliament after his victory in the September 21 presidential election. The election is scheduled 10 months earlier than its original August 2025 date, with 225 members to be elected through a district proportional representation system.

(With inputs from agencies.)