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General election now would cost Rs. 600 million
If a snap general election is held today it will cost the state more than Rs. 600 million, according to Elections Department officials.

The Department which has to bear the cost is yet to settle expenses incurred on the General Elections held on December 5, 2001.

According to an assessment the total cost of last year's election would be higher than Rs. 600 million.

Elections Department Accountant H A S Hapuarachchi told The Sunday Times that the main reason for the delay in settling bills was due to non-submission of bills by the relevant parties. Payments are made through 21 offices.

'Bills are never submitted on time, while vouchers are not sent to the correct officials, leading to the delay in making payments. Although a deadline is given, few keep to it," he said.

The Department had spent a total of Rs. 500 million for the Presidential Election held in 2000.

Meanwhile, the Elections Department which commenced the 2002 revisions of the voter register on June 1 has completed handing over the lists to households through the respective grama niladharis.

Voters who have not received their forms to register as voters can obtain them from the District Elections Office, a spokesman for the Elections Department said yesterday. The voter register is updated annually.

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