ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s election laws are still in force and all should abide the law, the island nation Election Commission (EC) said amid many political parties and their candidates in the run up to presidential poll have started distributing handouts to voters.
The election laws came to in effect after the Election Commission declared Local Government (LG) polls in January last year.
That election was postponed twice, but yet to be scheduled or cancelled.
The EC said in statement that the election laws that have come to in effect are still in force as per to the country’s constitution because the LG polls have not been held yet.
The EC warned the public not to promote or demote any political party or groups or candidate and not to misuse any state resources. It also reminded that two gazettes issued in January last year to the heads of state institutions on the misuse of and recruitment/promotion/transfer in state institutions.
The EC initially scheduled the LG polls for March 9, 2023, later postponing them to April 25, 2023.
However, the elections were not held after President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration cited a lack of funds due to the country’s recovery from an unprecedented economic crisis.
Despite the postponement, the LG polls have not been officially cancelled, meaning that standard election laws, including restrictions on political parties engaging in development projects or distributing funds, remain in effect.
The government has expressed its intention to explore the possibility of invalidating the nominations accepted for the postponed 2023 LG polls. However, ongoing court cases, with four petitions currently before the Supreme Court, have become a barrier for that, government officials have said.
In May, the EC raised concerns over President Office’s appointment of LG election candidates to advisory committees.
These committees are responsible for managing urgent development activities worth 10 million rupees in each local council area.
Local election monitors have accused the government of violating election laws through activities such as the ambitious Aswesuma poverty alleviation program for 2.4 million households and the distribution of land deeds to 2 million households, which they say are intended to influence voter decision-making in the upcoming election.
The Election Commission has announced that the presidential election will be held between September 17 and October 16.
Political analysts believe that most voters are eager to respond to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) coalition’s wrong economic policies that led to the 2022 economic crisis.
President Wickremesinghe is supported by the SLPP, a nationalist party that the public wanted to oust following an unprecedented economic crisis.
Some informal and non-transparent surveys have suggested that Marxists Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) and the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) are leading in terms of popularity. (Colombo/July 03/2024)