28. Amendment of section 37 of the principal enactment

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 37 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefor of the following subsection:—

“(1) If at the expiry of the nomination period appointed for each ward of an electoral area and after the rejection of any nomination paper or papers or the names appearing in any nomination paper or papers is removed under subsection (3) of section 31 due to any reason specified therein, the candidates of more than one recognized political party or of an independent group stands duly nominated for the election, the returning officer shall forthwith allot for the purpose of that election:—

(a)

to each candidate from a recognized political party, the approved symbol of that party; and

(b)

to each candidate from an independent group, any approved symbol and where there are more than one independent groups contesting such election, an approved symbol determined :—

(i)

in the first instance by agreement among the independent groups contesting; or

(ii)

in the absence of such agreement, by the draw of lots cast or drawn in such manner as the returning officer may, in his absolute discretion, determine, and such symbol shall be printed on the ballot paper opposite the name of the respective recognized political party or the independent group.”.

Read on from s 29