Opposition Parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka called on Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana to release the necessary funds for Local Government (LG) election as the Supreme Court judgement on the Easter Attack compensation case held that the ministry secretaries can be held personally liable for failure to fulfil the duties constitutionally assigned to them.
Speaking to the media yesterday (13), Ranawaka stated that rumours are afloat about funds not being given to the Election Commission (EC) for the LG Election. “As officials who are aware of the law, Siriwardana should remember the verdict given by the Supreme Court to former President and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena, the former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando, the former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, and former Intelligence officers in the Easter Sunday attacks’ case. Through this judgement, it is evident that especially ministry secretaries, adhere to the duties that have been constitutionally given to them. Therefore, Siriwardana is duty-bound to fulfil the peoples’ right to vote that is laid down in the Constitution. As a law abiding officer, we expect him to undertake this duty.”
In a landmark verdict last month (January), the Supreme Court which held Sirisena, former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, former State Intelligence Service Director and incumbent Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police – Administration Nilantha Jayawardena, and former Chief of National Intelligence and DIG Sisira Mendis have violated fundamental human rights by not preventing the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, also ordered them to personally pay Rs. 310 million as compensation to the victims of the bombings with Sirisena being ordered to pay the highest sum of compensation of Rs. 100 million.
Speaking further, Ranawaka stated that a day’s revenue of the Government was sufficient to hold the entire election. “It must be clearly stated that ‘we have no money’ is not a response when taking into account the events that the Government has held recently. When considering the Government’s revenue, only one day of the Government's revenue is needed for this Election. Therefore, there is no obstacle to hold this election. The election is not something that happens only on 9 March. There are a number of duties that have to be undertaken by the EC before 9 March. They have to hold the postal votes, voting cards have to be printed and distributed to houses, and polling stations have to be prepared. So, the election cannot be done all of a sudden,” he added.
Speaking to The Daily Morning on 9 February, EC Chairman, Attorney Nimal G. Punchihewa stated that the EC was yet to receive any response from the Ministry of Finance in regard to their request for Rs. 770 million as the LG election expenditure for the month of February. He further told The Daily Morning that although a letter was sent to the Ministry, there had been no response.
Meanwhile, polls monitors and related organisations made a written request to the Ministry of Finance on 12 February for the release of funds required for the LG election, noting that it is the responsibility of all Government officials to support the EC in holding the LG election.
However, a print media news report, quoting Punchihewa, stated that the EC had received Rs. 100 million out of the Rs. 770 million that had been requested for February, and that they were hopeful that the Government would release the balance Rs. 670 million within the next two weeks.