Order to curtail government expenditure sinister ploy to disrupt LG poll – IRES

BY PRIYAN DE SILVA

The Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake, said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s order, made on Tuesday (31), as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies, to further curtail government expenditure together with a warning to public officials that they would be personally held responsible for whatever goods and services they obtain on credit basis was a sinister ploy to disrupt the Election Commission’s preparations for the March 9 local government poll.

The President has, in a press release, stated that the General Treasury has informed him that it finds it challenging to meet all expenditure at this moment except for payment of salaries, pensions, welfare, pharmaceuticals and debt servicing.

Gajanayake said that on the same day it was reported that State Minister for Media, Shantha Bandara had stated that the Election Commission (EC) owed a sum of Rs.18 million to the Government Printing Department and that the Printing Department had requested for an advance of Rs. 100 million from the EC for the printing of ballot papers and other activities related to the upcoming Local Government poll.

Chairman of the Election Commission Nimal Punchihewa said that at a time members of the EC were threatened with death, and top government officials were spreading misinformation and acting in contravention to election laws and regulations, he had, on Saturday (28), asked for the President’s support to conduct the local government elections on schedule.

Punchihewa told The Island that it had been the normal practice for the EC to obtain goods and services on credit basis and would continue to do so. He said that the President’s press release had created some doubt among private sector suppliers, and service providers, but assured that the present EC would settle all its debts when payment was due.

He also confirmed that the EC had settled the R. 18 million due to the Government Printing Department, on Tuesday (31).