Polls, funds and tricks

Wednesday 8th March, 2023

The Election Commission (EC) has, in its wisdom, chosen to play ping-pong with the Finance Ministry, etc., again over fund allocations for the local government (LG) elections, and other poll-related matters. Following last week’s Supreme Court (SC) interim order, the EC was expected to assert authority and redouble its efforts to hold the much-delayed polls fast, but it decided to announce a fresh date for elections only after meeting some public officials such as Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardana, and Government Printer Gangani Liyanage. It invited them to a meeting yesterday, but Siriwardena did not turn up reportedly on the grounds that he had some other engagement.

Thankfully, the EC has finally decided to hold the LG polls on 25 April, 2023. This is something it should have done straightaway.

The Finance Ministry is under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is all out to delay the mini polls further by depriving the EC of funds, and therefore Siriwardana will not be allowed to meet the EC members and give any undertaking anent the SC order. At this rate, perhaps, the EC will not be able to meet him, at all. The government can always schedule meetings for him on the days when the EC wants to see him.

Former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris told the EC in no uncertain terms yesterday that there was absolutely no need for it to meet the Secretary to the Finance Ministry or any other public officials for that matter before deciding when the LG polls would be held. Now that the apex court had asked the Finance Ministry not to withhold funds allocated from Budget 2023 for elections, the EC could declare a new date for elections, Prof. Peiris said, warning that anyone who violated the SC order would have to face the consequences. The EC seems to have heeded his expert advice!

The Secretary to the Finance Ministry is obviously under political pressure not to release funds for elections, and he will not dare make any fund commitments lest he should antagonise his minister, who is President Ranil Wickremesinghe even if he happens to meet the EC. Therefore, the EC ought to make a formal request for funds again so that the Treasury will have to respond, and legal action could be taken in case its request is turned down.

It is unfortunate that some public officials have allowed themselves to be used by crafty politicians to pull political chestnuts out of the fire. If they do not comply with the SC order in question at the behest of the political authority, the Opposition will move the SC against them.

We are afraid that the EC is seen to be weak-kneed. It has to pluck up courage to carry out its duties and functions in the constitutionally prescribed manner regardless of what the government says or does. That will be half the battle in overcoming obstacles that the current regime places in its path. Its pusillanimity will only encourage the government to go on suppressing the people’s franchise.

It is being argued in some quarters that although the government has undertaken to allocate Rs. 10 billion from Budget 2023 for elections; funds are not available and therefore the judiciary cannot ask it to print more money. This argument is flawed. The government claims that the country’s economic situation is improving thanks to its efforts; speaking in Parliament, yesterday, President Wickremesinghe painted a rosy picture of the economy. The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime claims to be penniless only when funds have to be allocated for elections, which it fears. The EC is asking for much less than Rs. 10 billion, and that too in installments. The government is not short of funds even for non-essential expenses such as last month’s Independence Day celebrations; mobile toilets alone cost the taxpayer as much as Rs. 15 million, according to the Opposition. So, the government will be able to spare a few billion rupees for elections if it cares to get its priorities right.