Chairman of the Election Commission R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said that Rs.10 billion will be spent to hold the Presidential Election this year and the printing costs work out to Rs. 8 billion including ballot papers.
He said that the cost of printing has increased four-fold compared to 2019, and the increase in the prices of goods and services is one of the reasons.
The Election Commission Chairman said that the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 3 of 2023, which was passed in Parliament to reflect the true will of the people without bribery, extortion, deception and pressure on the voters will be implemented at this year’s Presidential Election.
Since no election has been held since January 24, 2023, when the law came into effect, the Act will be implemented for the first time at the upcoming Presidential Election. The Act sets a limit on the maximum amount that a political party and candidate can spend.
After receiving nominations, the Secretaries of political parties will be invited and the amount that can be spent by the candidates will be determined, and it is mandatory for all candidates to submit their expenditure reports to the Election Commission within 21 days after the end of the election.
Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said that anyone can complain about the expenses that have exceeded the limit or are illegal and the police have been empowered to investigate and implement the law and file cases through the Attorney General.
He said that at this year’s Presidential Election, steps will be taken with relevant institutions to keep a tab on candidates promoting themselves through social media networks such as Facebook and YouTube as much as possible.
