The Election Commission (EC) is scheduled to meet political parties today (24) to decide on the authorised spending amounts and related expenditure ceilings with regard to the Local Government (LG) poll under the recently passed Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, also known as the Campaign Finance Bill.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, EC Chairman Attorney Nimal Punchihewa said yesterday (23) that during the meeting, the criteria of the said Bill including the expenditure ceiling amounts would be discussed.
“We would also highlight guidelines relating to campaigns, meetings, leaflets, and banners. We would also direct the parties to refrain from disturbing the ongoing General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) examination during the time of campaigns,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) too has written to the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy and the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to instruct the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to refrain from scheduling power cuts at any time during the period of the A/L examination from yesterday to 17 February, as it would enable the students preparing for this examination to exercise their right to education unobstructed.
Elsewhere, the polls monitor, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) stated that regulations under the newly passed Law should not be used as a tool to postpone the LG poll. Speaking to The Daily Morning, CMEV Chief of Operations Attorney D.M. Dissanayake said yesterday that if the process of setting up regulations for the said Bill by the EC takes a long time, then it should not be applicable to the upcoming LG poll.
“If it takes more time, this should not apply to the upcoming election. We can apply it for the next election. If it takes more than five days to prepare the regulations, it should not be applied for the upcoming election because it will lead to a postponement and we are against the postponing of elections. Then, we would consider applying it at the next election,” he added.
He further said that recently, the EC had announced that they will take five days to prepare the regulations of the Campaign Finance Bill.
“If they complete the regulations within five days, they can very easily apply the Campaign Finance regulations at the forthcoming election too. But we are unclear if they are going to prepare regulations and if someone would go to court challenging those regulations after they are gazetted. We don’t know what would be the situation or the repercussions after publishing the regulations,” he further added.
He also said that from February onwards, the CMEV will be fielding monitors to observe election violence and campaign-related expenses.
Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana told The Daily Morning that the Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill would possibly reach him this week from the Legal Draftsman’s Department for endorsement.
“That depends on the Legal Draftsman’s Department. They will have to do the final touches and send it to us. It should possibly reach us this week,” he added.
The said Bill was passed in Parliament with a majority of 61 votes on 19 January, with 97 voting in favour, while 36 Parliamentarians voted against it. The Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill to regulate the expenditure incurred by candidates at every election conducted under the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, No. 53 of 1946, the Provincial Councils Elections Act, No. 2 of 1988, the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981, and the Presidential Elections Act, No. 15 of 1981, and to provide for matters therein was presented to Parliament on 8 December 2022, for the first reading by President’s Counsel and Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
The EC, on 18 January, gave an assurance to the Supreme Court on the upcoming LG poll, stating that the poll will be conducted in compliance with the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act, No. 16 of 2017.