NEC seeks Rs. 1 billion in arrears and billions more for parliamentary polls

The National Election Commission has called the Treasury to pay up an arrears of Rs one billion due as expenses for the last year’s presidential poll, amidst preparations to seek fresh allocations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

NEC officials this week met Treasury officials to seek the balance payments to cover a range of expenses, including transportation, staff expenses and printing costs.

Another meeting between the officials of the two institutions will be held next week to discuss expenses for the parliamentary elections.

“The minimum expenses for the parliamentary election will be between

Rs 5,500 million and Rs 6,000 million, but the cost may go upto Rs 7,000 million if there are more candidates,” NEC Chairman Ma hinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times.

He said the NEC workforce would also increase by 20,000, ending up with a staff of 300,000 as the commission was planning to set up more polling booths.

Mr. Deshpariya said if there were more parties and candidates, the NEC would have provide additional ballot boxes.

NEC sources said they were anticipating an increase in transport, printing, staff, polling booth costs at the parliamentary elections.

At next week's meeting with Treasury officials, the commission would give a breakdown of its requirements and the estimates, NEC sources said.

In terms of the Constitution, the President is empowered to draw funds from the Consolidated Fund for elections, if Parliament remains dissolved.

The relevant provision in the Constitution reads: “Where the President dissolves Parliament and fixes a date or dates for a General Election the President may, unless Parliament has already made provision in that behalf, authorize the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the expenditure of such sums as he may, after consultation with the Commissioner of Elections, consider necessary for such elections.”

Meanwhile the NEC has ruled out a postponement of the parliamentary elections, despite a plea from senior election staff members that intervening holidays during the national new year’s season could hamper preparations for the polls.

The plea to consider a postponement of the poll came during a meeting this week when islandwide Assistant Commissioners of Elections met with the Commission members to discuss election plans. The officials had pointed out that if government employees apply for three days of leave in April they could take 11 days off and thereby it could interrupt the postal voting arrangements resulting in a low turnout.

However, NEC spokesman Channa de Silva told the Sunday Times the commission had taken up the position that elections could not be postponed after the dates had been conveyed to the President.