Elections Dept. wants candidates’ assets declarations early

Although the Elections Department has declared July 30, as the deadline for all assets declaration of candidates contesting the General Elections on August 17, the major parties said that although it is not a legal requirement to stick to the time frame, arrangements are being made to submit the declarations on time.

The ruling United National Party said that it had already submitted 60 per cent of the candidates’ declarations to the Elections Department and that the balance will be submitted in due course. “We hope to send them before 30 July, as requested,” UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema said.

Meanwhile United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said that his party had submitted most of the declarations of its members and that those who are yet to do so have been informed to submit their declarations direct to the Elections Department. “We have three months from the nomination date to submit the forms,” he said. However he said that in Badulla all UPFA candidates had submitted their declarations on the day of nomination.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna MP Vijitha Herath said that its candidates have already submitted their declarations on the day of nomination itself.

Meanwhile many of the smaller parties including Mano Ganeshan’s Western Democratic Front and Vasudeva Nanayakkara’s Lanka Sama Samaja Party said that they had already submitted their declarations. In the assets declaration the candidates are expected to submit details of the savings certificates, Government securities, stocks, shares and debentures held by them and their spouses or children together with the properties they own including jewellery and vehicles.

Meanwhile the Elections Department has announced that all candidates who failed to submit their declarations by July 30, will not be issued with passes authorising them to visit polling booths on election day.

Deputy Elections Commissioner M.M. Mohamed said that earlier the Department had given seven days from the closing date for nominations, to submit the assets declarations, but considering the short time frame available, in consultation with the main parties it had been decided to extend the time period to July 30. However he said that the deadline issued by the department is only a request to all parties. He conceded that according to the law a candidate has three months time from the date of nomination but to make matters easy for the Department it is requesting the candidates to submit their assets declaration early. There are 6,151 candidates from 21 accepted political parties and 201 independent candidates contesting the elections for 225 seats in 22 electoral districts.

The law allows any person to call on the Elections Department and peruse any of the assets and liabilities declarations submitted by candidates by paying up a fee of Rs. 250 or even to have a copy of a declaration paying Rs.500.