Election petition to be heard and disposed of by District Court.

Election Petitions

1. (1) If the qualification of any person declared to be elected for being councillor is disputed, or if the validity or any election is questioned, whether by reason of the improper rejection by the State Election Commissioner of a nomination or of the improper reception or refusal

of a vote, or for any other cause, any person enrolled in the municipal election roll may, at any time within fifteen days from date on which election of a councillor is notified under section 16, apply to the District Court. If the application is for a declaration that any particular candidate shall be deemed to have been elected, the applicant shall make parties to his application or candidates who although not declare elected, had contested the election from the same ward.

1. (2) If the District Court, after making such inquiry as it deem necessary, finds that the election was a valid election and that the person whose election is objected to is not qualified, it shall confirm the declared result of the election. If it finds that the person whose election is objected to is disqualified for being a Councillor, it shall declare such person's election null and void. If it finds that the election is not valid election, it shall set it aside. In either case it shall direct that the candidate, if any, in whose favour next highest number of valid votes is recorded after the said person or after all the persons who were returned as elected at the said election, and against whose election no cause of objection is found, shall be deemed to have been elected.
2. (3) The 57[District] Court's order shall be conclusive.
3. (4) Every election not called in question in accordance with the foregoing provisions shall be deemed to have been to all intents a good and valid election.