Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka are scheduled to be held on 5 August 2020. In November 2018, the date was briefly moved forward by more than a year to 5 January 2019 due to President Maithripala Sirisenadissolving parliament during a constitutional crisis and calling for a snap election. The Supreme Court later suspended the dissolution and ordered a halt to the snap election, effectively moving the election's date back to 2020. On 19 March, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya revealed that the election will be postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lankan government initially insisted that scheduled forthcoming the election would proceed as planned on 25 April despite the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, and the authorities banned election rallies and meetings. During the video conference with SAARC leaders, Sri Lankan PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa initially confirmed that the parliamentary elections would be held as scheduled. Even the presidents comments holding the elections as scheduled, the elections commission in Sri lanka put off the date to 20 June 2020, using its powers., making a crisis between the presidents office and the constitutions, and the matter going to the courts. On 10 June 2020, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya confirmed that the postponed parliamentary elections will be held on 5 August 2020 with strict health measures and guidelines.
Timeline
;2018
9 November 2018 – President Maithripala Sirisena dissolves parliament and calls general elections to be held on 5 January 2019.
13 December 2018 – The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ruled unanimously that President Maithripala Sirisena's order to dissolve Parliament and hold new elections was unconstitutional.
21 November 2019 – Incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe resigns and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appoints his brother Mahinda Rajapakse as the new PM as an attempt to get a 2/3 majority to hold the elections fails.
17 February 2020 – Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance registered under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena named as chairperson.
3 March 2020 – President dissolved Parliament, elections on 25 April 2020 and nominations end 18 March.
19 March 2020 – Election Commission postpone the elections without announcing a new date due to COVID−19 pandemic.
3 April 2020 – Elections Commission write to the president asking him to see advise for a new date or make an alternative since they are unable to hold the elections as per the Gazzete.
9 April 2020 – President's Secretary PB Jayasundara response to the commission that president will not get any advice from the courts on the elections, and it is the commissions' responsibility to hold the elections, warning of Constitutional Crisis.
20 April 2020 – Election Commission of Sri Lanka declared 20 June 2020 as the date of elections, after a member of commission Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole object to hold the election on 28 May 2020 with the government influence.
5 May 2020 – newspaper Editor Victor Ivan and seven others filed a Fundamental Rights petition in Supreme Court seeking an order quashing the Extraordinary Gazette notification declaring the General Election on 20 June.
6 May 2020– Samagi Jana Balawegaya files a Fundamental Rights petition challenging the Gazette notification issued by the Elections Commission declaring the General Election to be held on 20 June.
18 May 2020 – Supreme Court's 5 member judge bench started hearing 8 petitions against the 20 June general election date.
20 May 2020 – Elections Commission inform the Supreme court that 20 June fix date is no longer a possible date for the election.
22 May 2020 – Attorney General requests the supreme court to dismiss petitions submitted in relation to the general election without hearings
2 June 2020 – The Supreme Court dismissed all Fundamental Rights petitions filed and denied granting leave to proceed with all petitions.
10 June 2020 – Election Commission announces 5 August 2020 as the new date of elections.
30 July 2020 - All election campaigning and propaganda activities for the Parliamentary Election 2020 must end at midnight on August 2, the Elections Commission announced.
Background
During the constitutional crisis in 2018, Sirisena dissolved parliament and ordered a snap election after his nominee for Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, failed to gain a majority in Parliament to back his nomination. However, after the constitutionality of the dissolution was challenged before Sri Lanka's Supreme Court, the dissolution was suspended, and the snap election was put on hold while the court case was ongoing. On 13 December 2018, the Supreme Court ruled the dissolution of the parliament unconstitutional, moving the election back to its original date. On 19 March 2020 – Election Commission postpone the elections without announcing a new date due to COVID−19 pandemic. on 20 May 2020, Elections Commission informs that the Supreme Court clarified a fix date June 20, 2020 for the election. and finally on 10 June 2020, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya confirmed that the postponed parliamentary elections will be held on 5 August 2020.
COVID-19
On 19 March 2020, Sri Lanka reported an increase in COVID-19 pandemic, but the government went ahead with the nominations until 18 March 2020, to close nominations to the elections. On 19 March soon after the nominations ended, the elections commission with its powers postponed the elections. The 25 April 2020 date of the elections was pushed back until 20 June 2020 due to the virus, and later postponed further to its current scheduled date.
