Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Supreme Court has allowed a Fundamental Rights Petition filed by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, seeking a recount of preferential votes obtained by New Democratic Front (NDF) candidates in the Kalutara district during the last general election. The court has scheduled the case for hearing on September 30.
The petition was presented before a three-judge bench of the Court of Appeal, consisting of President Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak de Silva, and Sampath Abeykoon, who fixed the date for the hearing.
The Election Commission, its Chairman and members, the Kalutara District Returning Officer, MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena, who was elected under the New Democratic Front (NDF), and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the case.
Senaratne argues that he lost his parliamentary seat due to irregularities in the vote counting process. He claims that the difference between his and the elected MP’s preferential votes is only 119 votes, and alleges that these discrepancies affected the final election outcome.
Through the petition, Senaratne is seeking a Supreme Court ruling declaring that his fundamental rights were violated and requesting an official recount of the votes along with a revised result.
With the case now officially scheduled for hearing, tensions have risen in the Kalutara political landscape, as the outcome could impact the district’s parliamentary representation.
