Election Commission will return to Courts, if funds for polls are not released: Chairman EC

The Election Commission (EC) will return to Supreme courts, in the event the Treasury and other government agencies fail to  cooperate with the Commission’s efforts to hold the  local government election as scheduled on March 9. Chairman of the Commission Nimal Punchihewa has declared.

The move comes in the wake of slow disbursement of funds from the Treasury for election purposes.

Mr Punchihewa noted that the EC had requested the Treasury to release Rs. 800 million needed for election expenses up until the end of February. The Commission had informed the Treasury that the funds can be released in installments.

However, the Chairman noted that though some funding,  has been released not all the funds they had requested for the March 9 poll have so far been released.

The EC had also requested the Power and Energy to increase the fuel quota for candidates and election officers but this too has not been done so far.

If it becomes clear to the EC that government agencies including the Treasury are not giving the cooperation to the Commission expected under the Constitution, then it will have to seek legal redress with the Supreme Court, the EC Chairman emphasised.

A Fundamental Rights petition filed in the Supreme Court by a retired army colonel asking for an order to stay the election in view of the prevailing economic crisis is to be taken up again on February 23. Mr Punchihewa said the EC was working to hold the election as planned on March 9 but was “ready for any eventuality.”

Postal voting for the local polls is scheduled to take place on February 22, 23 and 24. Postal voters who are unable to cast their ballots during these three days can do so on February 28 at the office of their respective District Returning Officer.  

A total of 676, 873 postal vote applications had been received for this year’s election.

The EC will hand over the postal ballot papers to District Returning Officers on February 15, said Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake. The Returning officers will then seal and secure the ballot papers and send them to post offices so that they can be forwarded to polling stations.  

All facilities and funds have been received to hold the postal vote, Mr Ratnayake stressed.