PLOTE being lobbied over writ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The counter-plaint filed by the DPLF against the TULF's plaint, challenging the rejection of TULF's nomination lists to the local government polls, which was taken up for hearing today in the Sri Lanka's court of appeal has been postponed to tomorrow, said legal sources in Colombo.

President's Council Faiz Mustapha appeared on behalf of the DPLF, which is the political front of the PLOTE.

The PLOTE was cited as one of the respondents in the case filed by the TULF against the rejection of party's nominations.

The elections commission disqualified the TULF from contesting the two local government bodies Jaffna municipality and the Waligamam north Pradeshiya Sabha, on legal grounds, to which it filed nominations .

Legal sources said if the matter is not resolved, the court might have to issue a stay order which might lead to a postponement of the Jaffna local polls.

Meanwhile Attorny-General Sarath Silva is said to have approached the PLOTE to withdrw the counter-plaint, said sources.

TULF had approached the PLOTE earlier to persuade the group to withdraw its counter plaint. However the PLOTE had not responded in favour of TULF, said sources.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Elections Commissioner told the court of appeal on Monday, while responding to EPRLF's writ, that EPRLF would be allowed to contest the five local government bodies in Jaffna, to which he had rejected last month on technical grounds.

Elections for the 17 local givernment bodies in the Jaffna penisula are scheduled for the January 29.

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