Presidential candidates Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera and Sarath Keerthirathna attributed the delay in submitting their campaign expenditure reports to the Election Commission (EC) to the time required for postal delivery.

The EC stated on Monday (14) that three Presidential candidates – Seelarathana Thera, Keethirathna and Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran – have failed to make the relevant submissions within the specified period which ended at 12 midnight on 13 October.

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (15), Seelarathana Thera said that he had posted the relevant reports to the EC, but that the delivery had been delayed. "I posted all the relevant documents. There has been a delay in the delivery. How can I prevent a delay on the part of the post?"

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Keerthirathna also said that he had posted the relevant reports to the EC on 12 October, but that they had not reached the EC by the deadline. "They may not have reached the EC by the deadline. However, I visited the EC and got it confirmed that they've now received my reports."

Ariyanethiran told The Daily Morning that he had hand-delivered the report on Monday.

The Daily Morning's attempts to contact EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake to query if the relevant legal actions would be pursued against Seelarathana Thera and Keethirathna, given that their reports are now with the EC, also proved futile.

Under the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, No. 3 of 2023, all Presidential candidates were supposed to submit reports detailing their campaign expenditures, including the sources of funds, to the EC by 12 midnight on 13 October.