News

EC ready to hold general election in 2024 if …

Published

1 year ago

2024/08/16

Thilina Walpola

Saman Sri Rathnayake

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Expenditure incurred by the Elections Commission increases exponentially if the length of the ballot paper exceeds 27 inches, Saman Sri Rathnayake, Commissioner General of Elections has said.

“In 1982, there were only six candidates. The ballot paper was about five inches. We could stuff about 900 ballot papers into one ballot box. In 2019, there were 35 candidates and the ballot paper was about 26 inches long. Let’s assume the number of voters didn’t change in a polling centre. We have to send three ballot boxes now to a place we sent one in 1982. We can send one ballot box with the SPO and a policeman in a cab. When we have to transport three ballot boxes, we need to hire vans. Imagine the increase in cost for transporting ballot boxes alone,” he told The Island.

Rathnayake added that each candidate was allowed to send one letter to each household, free of charge. There are 6.5 million households.

“At the polling centre, each candidate can have two people as agents. Where will we house these people? We need to find larger rooms,” he said.

About 83% of electors had cast their vote in 2019, Ratnayake said, adding that going by that percentage, in 2024 about 14.4 million people were likely to vote. There are 17 million eligible voters. Rathnayake said that the 2015 presidential election cost the taxpayer 2.7 billion rupees, in 2019 the expenditure went up to 4.4 billion rupees and in terms of the latest estimates, the government has already allocated 10 billion rupees.

Ratnanayake also said the Campaign Finance Act was in force and election monitors are paying close attention to the money spent by candidates on their campaigns.

“According to election laws, a candidate can’t take money from another government and use that money for campaigning. You also can’t take money from multinational companies or international voluntary organisations. Candidates also have to reveal the sources of their finances,” he said.

The nomination board of the Elections Commission could only consider objections in respect of the candidates who had violated the Presidential Elections Act, Ratnayake said.

Ratnayake said that the nomination committee did not have adequate time to investigate allegations against a candidate. The committee on the presidential elections comprises the five members of the Elections Commission.

“The board usually has a few hours to verify everything. They only look at a few things, i.e., whether the candidate has signed the nomination papers, whether the party has signed, whether a JP has certified details of a candidate, etc.,” he said.

Those on the nomination boards could not even independently verify the signatures of candidates, Ratnayake said. Those on the nominations board had to accept the signature certified by the General Secretaries of political parties. “Even if another party raises objections, by claiming that a candidate is a citizen of another country, there is nothing we can do. How could we determine this? Only courts can look into such claims,” he said.

When questioned about the weekly Cabinet press conference and events held at the Presidential Media Centre, the Commissioner General of Elections said the commission had no authority to prevent them.

“Sometimes, ministers speak about salary increases and various other concessions that will be given to people next year. However, as government servants, we know that ministries and departments have not even sent estimates and proposals for the 2025 budget. So, the media must cover such events critically and make people aware of the true situation.”

Ratnayake said the presidential candidates are required to submit their expenditure reports within 21 days after the conclusion of the election. The Election Commission made them public within 10 days, after which the public could lodge complaints.

The Elections Commission was also ready to hold a parliamentary election in 2024 if the person who secured the presidency dissolved parliament immediately afterwards. “According to the Constitution, the President can dissolve Parliament two and half years after its election. The Constitution also says that the necessary funding should be provided for the elections commission from the consolidated fund. We are also bound to hold the parliamentary election within 66 days after the dissolution of Parliament.

Ratnayake said Sri Lanka had held seven presidential elections, and elections officials had always been ready to count the preferential votes if necessary. If a candidate could not obtain 50 percent and one vote, the preferential votes had to be counted. “When we count the votes, we count the preferential votes. Many people think that we start counting second or third preferential votes only if one can’t get a majority. That’s not the case. We count them in one go. We have already estimated the number of officials and vehicles we want for election duties,” he said.

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BASL urges President to strengthen RTI Commission amid funding and staffing concerns

Published

2 mins ago

2025/12/22

Thilina Walpola

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urging urgent action to address challenges faced by the Right to Information (RTI) Commission.

In a letter sent to the Presidential Secretariat, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya has highlighted concerns arising from a recent public statement issued by the RTI Commission on 20th November 2025.

The BASL has emphasised that the RTI Commission, established under the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016, plays a crucial role in safeguarding citizens’ constitutional right to access information under Article 14A.

The BASL expressed appreciation for the Commission’s decade-long service, despite limited resources, but pointed to serious issues of understaffing and insufficient financing, which, they said, threaten its independence and effectiveness.

The Association urged the President to act swiftly, saying, “We respectfully urge Your Excellency to take immediate steps to ensure the provision of adequate and independent financial resources to the Commission, thereby safeguarding its autonomy and capacity to discharge its mandate.”

Additionally, the BASL strongly opposed any amendments to the Right to Information Act that could curtail citizens’ access to information.

The letter stressed that any proposed changes must involve due consultation with the BASL and the public.

The Bar Association concluded by urging the President to consider these concerns to uphold constitutional rights and protect the independence of the RTI Commission.

News

Judiciary commits to taking digitalisation agenda forward

Published

2 mins ago

2025/12/22

Thilina Walpola

The Annual Conference of Judicial Officers 2025 commenced on Saturday gathering over 200 Magistrates and District Court Judges from across the nation. This year’s conference focuses on the timely theme, ‘Advancing Judicial Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Digital Era’, a topic of urgent relevance as the country rebuilds and adapts in the wake of the disaster. The commitment of Sri Lanka’s judicial leadership to harness technology for addressing critical gaps in the justice system has never been more vital, especially as communities and institutions work together to overcome the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena; Members of the Judicial Service Commission Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena and Justice S. Thurairajah; Charge’ d’ affaires, High Commission of Canada in Sri Lanka, Kiril Iordanov and Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, Azusa Kubota. Key resource persons for the conference includes the Former Chief Justice of India, Dr. Dhananjaya Chandrachud; Justice Aidan Xu from the High Court of Singapore; and Director General of the CIABOC, Judge Ranga Dissanayake.

Over the next two days, the conference will address key priorities, including the integration of digital solutions to enhance judicial processes, with the aim of increasing access to justice for vulnerable victims including victim survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence and the role of judiciary in combating corruption—initiatives made possible through UNDP’s ongoing collaboration with the Government of Canada and anti-corruption efforts supported by the Government of Japan. Together, these efforts signal a decisive step towards a more resilient, effective, and inclusive justice system for all Sri Lankans.

News

Lanka gets US$50 Mn World Bank push for digital government

Published

4 mins ago

2025/12/22

Thilina Walpola

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$50 million project to support Sri Lanka’s digital transformation.

The project will promote innovation and investment in Sri Lanka’s digital sector, modernise government services, and make them easier to access and more responsive to the needs of people and businesses, the World Bank Group said in a statement.

The Sri Lanka Digital Transformation Project will support practical, people-centric digital solutions, including an integrated online citizen service portal for government services, a secure system for sharing data across government agencies to improve efficiency and transparency, a digital locker for storing digital documents, and a government cloud platform that can be scaled as demand increases.

These investments in Sri Lanka’s digital public infrastructure will be complemented by training programmes to help citizens and public servants use these new digital services with confidence.

“Digital transformation is a powerful driver of inclusive growth and better services,” said Gevorg Sargsyan, World Bank Group Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. “By investing in core digital platforms and skills, this project will improve how services are delivered to people and businesses and create new opportunities for private sector-led innovation.”

Beyond improving public services, the project will also help strengthen Sri Lanka’s technology and start-up sector. Through a digital start-up accelerator, the project will foster innovation, strengthen the local start-up ecosystem, and encourage female entrepreneurship.

Mid-sized technology firms will also benefit from targeted programmes to help them reach customers and investors in international markets. These efforts are expected to attract around US$10 million in private investment over time, supporting job creation and higher IT export earnings, it said.

“Better digital government and a stronger IT sector go hand in hand,” said Anna Metz, World Bank Senior Digital Specialist and Task Team Leader. “As public services go digital, demand grows for local technology solutions. At the same time, a more competitive IT sector strengthens Sri Lanka’s ability to develop and maintain modern digital systems.”

The project builds on the work done by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, which has supported Sri Lanka’s start-up and innovation ecosystem through investment and advisory services.

In addition, the project will strengthen Sri Lanka’s ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies. As the country faces increasingly frequent cyclones and climate-related disasters, robust digital systems can support data-driven decision-making, real-time information sharing across government agencies, and better coordination of emergency services and relief. Digital service delivery will also ensure that essential government services can continue during crises and allow authorities to quickly identify affected communities, share critical information, and deliver assistance electronically.

The project will be implemented by GovTech Sri Lanka (Pvt) Limited, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy, it added.

Aligned with Sri Lanka’s national development goals and the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework, the project reflects a shared commitment to leveraging digital technologies to improve public services, strengthen public sector efficiency and governance, and build an inclusive digital future for Sri Lanka.