SC orders acceptance of Pararajasingham Udayarasa’s nomination for 2024 Polls

By: Isuru Parakrama

October 24, Colombo (LNW): The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has directed the National Election Commission to accept the nomination of Pararajasingham Udayarasa of the Democratic National Alliance, reversing an earlier rejection for the 2024 General Election.

Udayarasa’s candidacy for the Vanni District had previously been dismissed by the District Returning Officer, who claimed the nomination had not been formally submitted.

This decision led Udayarasa and two other petitioners to seek legal redress, arguing that all required documents had been properly submitted and that the rejection was unlawful.

The petitioners contended that the Returning Officer’s decision to reject the nomination was in direct violation of electoral laws.

They requested the court to declare the decision invalid and restore Udayarasa’s candidacy.

After reviewing the details of the case, the Supreme Court ruled that the rejection was indeed unlawful.

It ordered the National Election Commission to promptly take the necessary steps to approve Udayarasa’s nomination paper, enabling his participation in the upcoming election.

Senior President’s Counsel Ali Sabry represented the petitioners in this high-profile case.