LG polls in limbo as Treasury fails to release funds

• Govt. Printer claims she has not received a reply to her letter to Treasury on 8 March requesting funds
• Warns of possible postponement of polls if funds are not received this week
• ECSL says funds must be released by Wednesday for the postal vote to go ahead as scheduled
• State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyamabalapitiya says releasing funds for elections could undo Govt. efforts in strict financial management

The fate of the Local Government polls remains in limbo as the Treasury is yet to release the funds required for the election. Despite the Supreme Court order issued on 2 March preventing the Treasury Secretary from withholding funds allocated in the budget for the elections, no funds have been forthcoming yet.

According to Government Printer Gangani Liyanage, her request for funds in writing to the Ministry of Finance has gone unanswered. Liyange said she wrote to Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana on 8 March requesting him to release funds required for the Government press to recommence the ballot paper printing process.

Liyange said if the funds are not received this week, it is likely the polls will have to be postponed yet again. The Government Printer has put forward an estimate of Rs. 200 million as the initial cost of printing material required for the Local Government poll. The total cost for printing ballot papers and other materials is an estimated Rs. 400 million.

A source from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) reiterated Liyanage’s comments and said funds must be released by the latest on Wednesday if the postal vote scheduled to be held between 28 - 31 March is to go ahead unhindered. If not he said the postponement of the postal vote will be inevitable. The Government Printer has confirmed that ballot papers for postal voting have been printed in 17 out of 25 districts to date.

Further creating doubt if any funds will be released, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya speaking to the media recently said providing funds to hold the vote could possibly create yet another crisis situation in the country. He claimed the Government has controlled the dire economic situation through strict management and by prioritising essential expenses.

“How is it possible for us to be withholding funds intended for polls as claimed? Our expenditure is four times the revenue generated last year. While the tax revenue will be gathered in the first quarter, expenditure and revenue cannot be balanced at once,” he said, adding that the Government is focusing on normalising the day-to-day lives of the people.

He said the Government has prioritised utilising its revenue on providing Samurdhi benefits, State sector salaries and securing fuel, fertiliser and other necessities for the country’s citizens.

“Some may believe the issues are over but it is only because the situation is being strictly managed and funds utilised carefully. If we add yet another burden we will go back to the way things were and disrupt the progress made,” he said.

He said essential expenditures have been presented to the Cabinet and funds cannot be allocated just because it is mentioned in the budget as it is a mere financial forecast for the year ahead. He said every attempt is being made to improve the country’s situation and claiming the lack of funds will be used as an excuse to postpone polls in the future is a mere fallacy.