The National Election Commission (NEC) would have to spend more than expected on the upcoming presidential election due to the high number of candidates, Head of the NEC, Mahinda Deshapriya said, yesterday after accepting nominations of 35 candidates.
Deshapriya said that the NEC had initially planned to spend about Rs 4 billion on the election, but now it would have to spend more because of the operational costs associated with the highest number of presidential candidates in the country’s history.
"Since there are 35 candidates, the ballot paper will be twice longer than the previous one. We will have to find large rooms to accommodate polling agents and election officers. Since the ballot paper is longer we have to have new ballot boxes made. We might have to get the ballots of all the election centres in an area to one place for counting," he said, adding that the NEC usually used 40 small halls to count votes.
The NEC chairman added that candidates and their supporters needed to adhere to election laws till the day of the presidential election.
"Holding rallies will be restricted from the nomination day until a week after the election. If election law violations take place we have to set up a mechanism to stop them and we will take legal action against the perpetrators. Public address systems can be used with with permission from the police. Distributing food items in order to get votes will be treated as corruption."
Deshapriya said that state employees should not engage in any political activities and resources of state institutions should not be misused. "If anyone violates the law the EC will take steps to reject the nominations. The State and private media should not be biased. The media should not report false news or news items they cannot verify. Complaints can be sent to us via 011-2868212/011-2868214/011-2868217."
The presidential candidates are as follows:
Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) , Sajith Premadasa (New Democratic Front,) Anura Kumara Dissanayake (National People’s Power) ex-Army Commander, General Mahesh Senanayake (National People’s Party), Duminda Nagamuwa (Frontline Socialist Party), Ketagoda Gamage Jayantha Perera (Independent), Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathne Thera (Jana Setha Peramuna), Siripala Amarasinghe (Independent), Dr. Ajantha Wijesinghe Perera (Socialist Party of Sri Lanka), Ven. Aparekke Punnananda Thera (Independent), Welisarage Saman Prasanna Perera (Ape Jana Bala Party), Ariyawansha Dissanayake (Democratic United National Front), Sirithunga Jayasuriya (United Socialist Party), Warnakulasuriya Milroy Surgeus Fernando (Independent), Badde Gamage Nandimithra (Nava Sama Samaja Party), Nambunama Nanayakkara Akmeemana Palliyaguruge Vajirapani Wijesiriwardena (Socialist Equality Party), Sarath Manamendra (Nava Sihala Urumaya), Pallewatte Gamaralalage Rohan Pallewatte (National Development Front), Chandrasekara Herath Hitihamy Koralalage Samansiri Herath (Independent), Welera Keerthiratne Mudiyanselage Sarath Vijithakumara Keerthiratne (Independent), Polgampala Ralalage Chaminda Anurudda (Independent), Samaraweera Weerawanni (Independent), Ashoka Wadigamangawa (Independent), A.S.P. Liyanage (Sri Lanka Labour Party), Illiyas Idroos Mohamed (Independent), Wijenayake Kankanamge Piyasiri Wijenayake (Independent), Professor Rajiva Wijesinghe (Independent), Aruna de Soysa (Democratic National Movement), Ajantha de Zoysa (Ruhunu Janatha Peramuna), Priyantha Munihath Edirisinghe (Okkoma Wasiyo Okkoma Rajawaru Sanvidanaya), Namal Rajapaksa (Nationalities Unity Organization), M.K. Sivajalingam (Independent), former Governor Mahamood Lebbe Alim Mohamed Hizbullah (Independent), Ahmed Hassan Mohamed Alavi (Independent) and Subramanium Gunaratnam (Our National Front) handed in their nominations yesterday. Although Basheer Segu Dawood, Jayantha Liyanage, Kumara Welgama, Chamal Rajapaksa, Gunapala Tissakuttiarachchi and Maheepala Herath made a cash deposit, they did not hand over nominations.
