The Supreme Court yesterday rejected the petition filed by the Chairman of the UNP, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, seeking to restrain the Commission of Election from receiving nominations for the forthcoming Provincial Council Polls in North Western and the Central Provinces.

The Senior State Counsel, Nerin Pulle, who appeared for the Commissioner of Elections, submitted that the Supreme Court in an earlier judgement declared that the Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Dissanayake, should conduct the polls until the Constitutional Council appoints the Elections Commission which would takeover the functions of the Commissioner. Since the Commission has not yet been appointed due to the non-existence of the Constitutional Council, the Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake may conduct the poll.

The Court allowed the submission by the State, and rejected the application by the UNP, which said that, under the Seventeenth Amendment, the Commission only should conduct the poll.

A. P. Niles appeared for the UNP.

The Bench comprised Justice N. G. Amaratunga, Justice P. A. Ratnayake and Justice Chandra Ekanayake.