EC to ask Treasury for funds to hold LG elections

By Ranil Dharmasena

The Elections Commission (EC) will write to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, today (25) asking him to release the necessary funds for conducting the local council election scheduled to be held on 09 March.

The EC said that they needed Rs. 3 billion as recurrent expenditure. It will send a detailed report on how the funds will be spent.

The EC, on 23 January, told party leaders that if the Speaker authorised the newly-passed Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, a candidate could only spend Rs 15 per voter on election propaganda.

The Act will only come into effect when the EC publishes a gazette announcing its implementation. Depending on the number of voters in an electorate, the money a candidate can spend will change, the EC has told party secretaries.

The EC also told party secretaries to conduct election campaigns, without disturbing students sitting the GCE AL examination.