Polls take precedence over Expenditure Act - EC

• EC will meet parties contesting polls tomorrow to discuss guidelines to control expenditure   
• EC takes all measures possible to restrict the full cost of the election to Rs. 8 billion or less   
• Budget 2023 has allocated Rs. 10 billion for the EC   

By Sandun A. Jayasekara   

Conduct of the forthcoming LG polls take precedence over the ‘Regulations of Elections Expenditure Act’ passed on last Thursday in Parliament, Chairman of the Election Commission (EC), Mr. Nimal G Punchihewa said yesterday.    

When it comes to safeguard the people’s right to vote (the universal franchise) and democracy, the provisions of the ‘Elections Expenditure Act’ will not affect this election” he emphasized.   
The Supreme Court has in many instances in the past ruled that the government or the EC cannot postpone elections.   

The Election Commission will meet political parties contesting the Local Government (LG) polls tomorrow (24) to discuss the parameters and guidelines to monitor and control elections expenditure under the laws stipulated in the ‘Regulations of Elections Expenditure Act’ , Chairman, Punchihewa said.   

The independent groups in the fray will have to interact with District Secretaries acting as District Returning Officers (DROs) to air their views on elections expenditure and DROs of each district will convey them to the EC, he added.   

Only the EC will be able to issue the regulations and criteria required to restrict excessive expenditure at elections by political parties, independent groups and candidates and also the punishments to be meted out on conviction for violation of the provisions of the ‘Act’, Mr. Punchihewa told Daily Mirror.
The EC Continues preparations for the Local Government (LG) polls unaffected and unscathed amidst many a controversy and challenge as it has enough money for day to day operations of the election with no financial constraint at the moment, Punchihewa emphasized.   

“If and when we need more funds, we will make a request to the Treasury as the budget 2023 has allocated Rs.10 billion for the EC under a special vote in Parliament,” he said.   
The EC takes all measures possible to restrict the full cost of the election to Rs. 8 billion or less. The EC immediately requires only Rs. 5 billion. The EC is confident that it can restrict the full cost of the LG polls to less than Rs.8 billion. This is 0.00985% of the total budgetary allocations of Rs.7,880 billion for 2023.   

A total of 166, 92, 839 voters are eligible to vote at the March 9 election according to the electoral register of 2022. They are to elect members to 339 local council bodies except Elpitiya PS and Kalmunai MC.   

The election will be held 60% under the first past the post system or the ward system and 40% under the Proportional Representation (PR) system.