• deadline to submit campaign expenditure reports ended last week
• Only 7,412 candidates, 434 Nat’l List nominees and 493 political parties have submitted reports

The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to initiate legal action against a total of 1,042 Parliamentary General Election candidates and National List nominees for their failure to submit campaign expenditure reports by the deadline which ended at 12 midnight on 6 December.

Under the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, No. 3 of 2023, all Parliamentary Election candidates and National List nominees were supposed to submit reports detailing their campaign expenditures, including the sources of funds, to the EC and the relevant District Secretariats by 12 midnight on 6 December.

 As per the EC, out of 8,361 Parliamentary candidates representing all 22 electoral districts, only 7,412 had made the relevant submissions by the deadline. The total number of National List nominees was 527, out of which only 434 had submitted their expenditure reports. Accordingly, 1,042 candidates and National List nominees in total had not complied with the relevant legal provisions. The 690 political parties and independent groups that contested the Parliamentary Election were also required to submit their expenditure reports, but only 493 had done so.

 Speaking to The Daily Morning, EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said that they would initiate legal action against Parliamentary candidates and National List nominees who failed to make the required submissions, just as they did with Presidential candidates who committed the same offence. "We will inform the Police of those who did not submit their expenditure reports. It will then initiate action on them on the advice of the Attorney General (AG)."

 The Election to elect the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka was held on 14 November. The candidates, National List nominees, political parties, and independent groups were required to submit the said reports following the Election.