Elections can be held without any obstructions as the Covid 19 pandemic has been contained according to Additional Legal Secretary to the President’s Office and the Attorney General’s Co-ordinating Officer Senior State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne. According to Jayaratne reports submitted by the State Intelligence Service (SIS), health officials and another party to the courts have confirmed this.
She stressed that therefore according to these reports no fear should be involved in holding the long-delayed general elections.
While the Fundamental rights petitions filed challenging the gazette notification issued by the President on June 20 dissolving parliament is currently being taken up at the Supreme Court, Jayaratne said three parties have submitted relating reports to the courts.
According to her, the SIS report notes that following April 30 no patient outside the main cluster, quarantine centers, or hospitals have been discovered. She also added that the Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe has recommended that the elections can be held as the pandemic has been controlled within the country. Jasinghe had noted that elections can be held if social distancing regulations and health advice is adhered to during the time.
Meanwhile, another report from the Epidemiology Unit of the Minister of Health was submitted to courts based on the data available from January 29 – May 26. “All these reports show that the pandemic is under control and therefore there are no obstructions to hold the elections,” she said.
However, the FR petitions filed against the June 20 gazette are still being heard before a five-judge bench.
