Prez Poll: Record number of candidates reflects abuse of democratic system

The record number of candidates contesting the 2019 Presidential Election reflect an abuse of the democratic process and the electoral system, Election monitor People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) stated yesterday.

By Sandun Jayawardana

The record number of candidates contesting the 2019 Presidential Election reflect an abuse of the democratic process and the electoral system, Election monitor People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) stated yesterday.

Speaking at the launch of the election watchdog's first media report on the 2019 Presidential Poll, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarahchi said they have received information that two of the contesting the upcoming election had already pledged support to other parties. He said election laws needed to be amended to prevent this. 

Mr Hettiarachchi recalled that 19 candidates contested the 2015 Presidential Election. However, when one leaves out the votes obtained by the two main candidates, all the other 17 candidates combined won only about 127, 000 votes, he pointed out. This is less than 1% of the total valid votes.

"We now have a record 35 candidates contesting this election and regrettably, there are many among them who seem to be contesting sorely for personal gain," he said.

The PAFFREL Executive Director pointed out that all candidates who are contesting are entitled to free airtime, free postal facilities and permission to enter any polling centre among other benefits. After the elections, some of them can even be given positions within some of the main political parties.  

He pointed out that each candidate is entitled to 2 agents per polling centre. This means that there will be up to 70 agents at a polling centre alone in addition to election staff, monitors and police. The problem of accommodating all of them, along with the record length of the ballot paper (26 inches) means that an additional Rs.1 billion will be needed to conduct this election. 

Meanwhile, there's a danger that the length of the ballot paper will also cause voter confusion, particularly as most candidates from the main parties are contesting under new symbols, he further remarked. 

"We don't consider this (record number of candidates) to be democratic. We see it as an act of abuse of the democratic system. When the country is already reeling from a severe debt burden, it is a crime that so much taxpayer funds are being used for an election due to extra candidates who are being fielded to satisfy the political aspirations of a few," Mr Hettiarachchi emphasized. 

Nevertheless, Mr Hettiarachchi acknowledged that there were also candidates who, though they knew they could not obtain a large number of votes, were nevertheless were contesting to create awareness in society on their political ideology and vision. Such persons should have the right to contest, he emphasized. 

The main issue was that the cash deposits that should be placed to contest the Presidential Election have not changed since 1982, PAFFREL pointed out. The deposits are still Rs. 50, 000 (for registered political parties) and Rs 75, 000 (for independents). 

“Once this election is concluded, we hope to discuss the matter with the EC and political parties and push for amending these laws. Either we need to increase the amount that should be deposited to contest or impose a fine on candidates who fail to win a certain percentage of the vote. We also need to seriously reconsider the registration of political parties who register to contest but whose candidates then go onto support others,” Mr Hettiarachchi told the media.