No booze, no bites and no buzz for polls campaign

Campaigning for next month’s elections will be a hard task for members of local councils known to extravagantly spend on liquor, bites and packets of lunch. In the Colombo district, a top local councillor, who had his supporters pumped with food and liquor during campaign times in previous years, complained that he may lose supporters due to the inability to entertain.

On a complaining note, he said supporters keep coming to his residence expecting tea, liquor and packets of lunch, but this time turned away due to the new campaign expenditure rule allowing a candidate to spend only Rs. 20 for each voter.

The new campaign finance laws had posed several new issues in the implementation. Some of them were raised during a media conference conducted by the Elections Commission this week.

One question posed was how would they monitor social media. The Commission members said they were planning to monitor social media, but it would be difficult task.

Another question was posed on how the EC would monitor Satellite TV and EC members said they could add to that list.

Journalists also questioned if political parties placed advertisements instead of the candidate placing a direct advertisement. It would be a difficult task to monitor such expenses.

There were other flaws also in the laws. Among them was the possibility of a rival getting someone to place advertisements and after the elections make a claim that this particular candidate had exceeded the stipulated amount. In the event the candidate was successful at the elections and failed to disprove that he had no hand in placing the advertisements he or she faced the risk of losing a seat.