SC confirms Chandrika election

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, FEB 12. The Supreme Court today confirmed the victory of the President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, in the 1999 presidential election after the Opposition United National Party (UNP) withdrew a petition questioning the verdict.

Giving reasons for the withdrawal, the UNP assistant leader, Mr. Gamini Athukorale, who was the petitioner, said in a statement that it was prompted by the Court's decision not to admit certain kinds of evidence like misuse of the media and printing of extra ballot papers.

Moreover, the Court decided to admit evidence pertaining to general intimidation only in 67 of the 86 electorates, Mr Athukorale said. Mrs. Kumaratunga won the 1999 election with 51.12 per cent of the total vote, while Mr. Wickremesinghe got 42.71 per cent.

Two days before the election, on the last day of the campaign, Mrs. Kumaratunga suffered grievous injuries when an LTTE suicide bomber tried to assassinate her.

The Supreme Court had asked the petitioner to prove that the UNP candidate would have got over 12 lakh more votes. Mr. Athukorale said that as the order of the court had altered the nature of his petition, he had been advised by his lawyers to withdraw it.

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Section  : International
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