News
New Bill to set limits on campaign spending at elections
View(s):By Damith Wickramasekara
A draft Campaign Finance Bill that will allow the Election Commission (EC) to set spending limits for candidates contesting elections is to be submitted for Cabinet approval next week.
According to the bill, due to be submitted by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, any candidate who spends over the limit specified by the EC is liable to a fine and a jail term if found guilty in court. They will also lose their seat if elected, Minister Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times.
The law will apply to presidential, parliamentary, provincial council and local council elections.
Candidates will be required to submit a declaration to the EC three weeks prior to the election detailing how they received their funding, who their donors were and how much each donor contributed to their campaign. These finances must not exceed the spending cap specified by the EC, the minister also revealed.
Under the new law, it will be illegal for candidates to accept donations from government institutions, foreign countries, Non-Governmental Organisations, companies established in Sri Lanka where 50% or more shares are held by foreign investors and anonymous donors.
There has been a tendency of criminal elements financing candidates at elections and the new laws will help curb such financing, Minister Rajapakshe further said.
The spending cap for candidates is to be determined by the EC and will be specific to each district, Elections Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said. It will take into account the population of each district, its total land area and the number of eligible voters.
The spending cap will prevent candidates with more financial resources from obtaining an unfair advantage at elections, Mr Ratnayake added.
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