Retired Colonel W. M. R. Wijesundera filing a Writ Petition in the Supreme Court yesterday (02) has said that the Election Commission (EC) has informed him that finances for holding elections can be obtained based on either income received or obtaining money through loans.
Accordingly, he filed a Writ Petition at the Supreme Court based on Clause No. 140 of the Constitution naming the Chairman of the Election Commission and its four members, the Prime Minister, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Secretary of the Cabinet and the Attorney General as respondents.
The retired Colonel, submitting facts in the petition has stated that he is questioning the benefit to the country or the public by holding a Local Government election at this moment. The media reveal that while one political party is requesting an election, another group says that there is no money to hold an election.
According to the Election Commission, a sum of Rs.10 billion will have to be spent in order to hold the election. When the Election Commission was asked regarding this, two weeks ago, and as to whether money had been allocated for holding an election and if the money was available in cash, under the Freedom of Information Act, they had informed him in writing that generally, it costs Rs. 10 billion to hold an election and that it is determined based on income received by the Government or on being able to obtain loans, the petitioner confirms.
All documents relevant to this have been submitted by the petitioner to the Supreme Court. The petitioner, who has given facts about the current income situation of the country, the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund and the ratings given to Sri Lanka by international credit rating agencies, and the government’s income and expenditure for the past three years, has said that at a time when work is being carried out for nationwide electoral reform, at a time when laws are being compiled for the financial control of people engaged in election campaigns and political parties, and at a time when percentages are being decided on the political representation of youth and women, at a time when laws are being prepared on candidate transparency and a Parliamentary Selection Committee is working on these matters, at a time when 8,711 local government political members are a heavy economic and social burden to the country, at a time when it is being discussed that it should be limited to 1/3, the petitioner questions how a sudden election will affect and benefit the country and its people.
Also, the inability to obtain bilateral and multilateral loans, the inflation that will occur in relation, if money has to be printed for some reason, and due to having to bear the costs of this election, based on the collapse of the economy which will definitely happen and once again there will be no fuel, no gas, power cuts being imposed for a longer time, etc. and the fact that the country is going to be subjected to many crises and social pressure to maintain the grave living conditions, is being questioned by the petitioner.
The petitioner who states this, has requested in the petition to issue a writ order to the four leading respondents including the Chairman of the Election Commission, invalidating the organization activities which are being carried out on behalf of conducting of the local government elections and also to provide the documents which have been submitted to the honourable court together with any others that are further required, and to examine the said documents, and not to change the current situation of the case by issuing interim orders until this case is heard or for such time as the Honourable Court deems fit, and the petitioner further requests that a writ be issued to prevent the effect of the Election Commission’s decision to hold the Local Government election.
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