New laws to limit publicity budgets of candidates

By Chamodi Gunawardana

On a demand from the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), the Government intends to amend the Election Act to limit publicity costs run up by candidates during election campaigns, Provincial Councils and Local Government Faiszer Musthapha said yesterday.

Addressing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) media briefing Musthapha said PAFFREL had requested to daft regulations to limit publicity expenditures of each candidate.

“To maintain the transparency of expenditures, PAFFREL demanded to legalise the exact amount that could be spent by one candidate on publicity. The new regulations are likely to come into effect at the upcoming local government elections,” he said.

“I directed PAFFREL to lodge the draft of amendments to the Election Act before the end of October.” 

PAFFREL said in a statement that it has also demanded to legalise declarations of assets and liabilities of each candidate at the time of handing over nominations. If not, their nominations should be cancelled.

Furthermore, it requested that an election court be established to examine violations of election laws.

The law should be drafted to cancel the membership of elected candidates when they are convicted by the election court.

PAFFREL expects the handover of all the proposals before 20 October to the Cabinet subcommittee which was appointed to monitor the process of amending the Local Government Amendment Act.