Elections: EC Chief urges govt. to present time frame for making funds available

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Head of the Elections Commission, Nimal Punchihewa yesterday urged the government to present a timeline for providing funds for the local council election.

He said that the Elections Commission had been trying to hold the local council election since January

and that it had failed to do so due to circumstances beyond its control.

“Give us a time frame for providing funds, and we can plan the elections accordingly,” he said.

Punchihewa said that for any commission to be truly independent it must be independent financially. “Without financial independence these commissions have to face the issues we are facing. We are not allowed to carry our constitutional duties,” he said.

EC Chairman Punchihewa also said that the commission would not have had to beg for money from the government if there had been an electoral calendar.

“If you look at the USA we know when the Presidential election is held. We don’t have such a calendar.”

On Tuesday, the EC announced that it had postponed the local government elections scheduled for 25 April for want of funds.