• Only impact on electoral process, if any, is considered by EC

Noting that governmental authorities are responsible for decisions related to development projects even during an election period, the Election Commission (EC) stated that they only monitor whether such decisions impact the electoral process and initiate necessary actions accordingly.

Following the suspension of ongoing development projects worth more than Rs. 200 million secured by him due to directives issued by the Presidential Secretariat, the All Ceylon Makkal Congress Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen said that he would complain to the EC regarding the matter.

When contacted by The Daily Morning about the matter, the EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake clarified that the EC does not have the authority to decide whether to implement, hold, or suspend development projects, even during election periods. He explained: "We only monitor if a certain decision made by such authorities regarding a particular development project has any effect on the electoral process. If we observe that there has been some effect, we initiate the necessary course of action." Commenting on the issue concerning Bathiudeen's development projects, he said that the EC would, following the receipt of a complaint, look into the matter.

More than Rs. 200 million worth of development projects secured by Bathiudeen in six districts were reported to have been halted following directives from the Presidential Secretariat. The projects, which were based on community requests, were put on hold by an order from the Presidential Secretariat’s Accountant S.A.P. Kumari, instructing the relevant District Secretaries to transfer the funds to the Secretariat. In response, Bathiudeen wrote to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, expressing concerns that the suspension may be linked to his support for Samagi Jana Balawegaya Leader and Presidential candidate and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and thereby urging the President to revoke the said orders.