Sri Lanka’s top court on Thursday found President Ranil Wickremesinghe guilty of “unlawful conduct” for indefinitely postponing local elections, which were widely regarded as an unofficial referendum on his economic management.
Although Wickremesinghe enjoys immunity while in office, the ruling has no immediate legal implications. However, economic concerns are expected to dominate the upcoming presidential elections next month.
The local elections, originally scheduled for March 2023, were postponed, making the September 21 presidential election the first since Wickremesinghe assumed office two years ago. He stepped into the role after widespread protests, fueled by an unprecedented financial crisis, led to the ousting of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022.
Wickremesinghe, 75, is seeking re-election for a five-year term next month, facing stiff competition from rival candidates.
On Thursday, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, unanimously ruled that Wickremesinghe had failed to allocate funds for the local elections in March 2023, despite a previous court order to do so.
Wickremesinghe’s government argued that the funds were needed to pay public servants and pensions, but the court found that his “arbitrary and unlawful conduct” in blocking the elections had violated constitutional rights.
Speaking to his supporters near Colombo on Thursday, Wickremesinghe defended his decision to delay the local council elections last year, stating that he was “not sorry” as the time was spent ensuring the right to life and committed to protecting both the right to vote and live, according to his campaign office.
