(UTV|COLOMBO) – Election watchdogs have decided to carry out a survey regarding the expenses of election candidates.
Speaking during a media briefing in Colombo National Coordinator of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence Manjula Gajanayake said no such survey has been conducted in Sri Lanka in the past.
Gajanayake said there are no official reports regarding the expenses incurred during Elections, apart from the expenses incurred by the government through the Elections Commission.
He noted the other source to be used to determine expenses is through political parties while stating the annual expenditure reports submitted by the parties to the Elections Commission are unreliable as no official records of the expenses have been recorded by the parties.
Gajanayake said accordingly an island wide survey will be conducted together with the People’s Action for a Free and Fair Election.
Gajanayake further noted the expenses allocated for Presidential Elections have increased over time.
When inquired by media as to why legal action was not sought over the delay in conducting the Provincial Council Election, Gajanayake said such legal proceedings take a lot of time to reach a decision adding that a separate Court must be established to hear Election Petitions.
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