Kumaratunge seeks SC's decision on poll date

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 07:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge on Tuesday sought the Supreme Court's determination on the controversial issue of the date of the conduct of the next Presidential election in Sri Lanka, according to a news release issued by Sri Lanka's Presidential Office Wednesday. Ms. Kumaratunge has earlier said that the election will be held in December 2006 arguing that her term of office will come to an end in 2006 as she was sworn in second time in 2000, one year after she was re-elected for a second term.

Ms. Kumaratunga was elected as President of Sri Lanka for the first time in 1994 and re-lected for a second six year term in December 1999 polls which she called one year before the completion of her first six-year term.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP), opposing Kumaratunga's interpretation of the Constitution, insists that the second term of Kumaratunga ends after the six-year term in December 2005 as the last election was held in 1999.

Kumaratunga won her first election as Sri Lanka's President in 1994, vowing to bring in a new Constitution and scrap the Executive Presidency.

On November 04, 2003, Kumaratunga exercised the constitutional powers of the Executive Presidency and took over three ministerial port-folios (defence, interior and media) and prorogued the Sri Lankan Parliament.

The justices of the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice are appointed by the Sri Lankan President, according to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.