Bandaranaike v. Premadasa – sllr 1989 volume 1 page 240

Brief
In the case between Sirimavo R. D. Bandaranaike (petitioner) and Ranasinghe Premadasa (returned candidate) with the Commissioner of Elections as the second respondent, the Court addressed whether an election could be challenged and declared void on grounds of general intimidation and non-compliance with provisions of the Presidential Elections Act No. 15 of 1981. It was held that a credible case of general intimidation, regardless of whether the intimidation was preventive or coercive, may compromise the electors’ freedom, and that substantial non-compliance with mandatory statutory requirements can potentially void an election if such non-compliance affects the result. The findings reaffirmed the necessity for petitions to set out material facts affecting the election, and it was es