News
No expense reports submitted to EC yet
Legal requirement for presidential candidates to declare campaign expenditure:
By Ranil Dharmasena and Rathindra Kuruwita
Not a single presidential candidate has handed over his expenses report for election propaganda to the Election Commission (EC) by 04 October 2024, according to sources.Presidential candidates have time till 12 October to hand over their election campaign expense reports to the EC.
According to campaign finance laws each presidential candidate must submit election campaign expense reports to the EC within 21 days of the announcement of the election results.
Once all 38 candidates have submitted their expense reports, the documents will be made available for public viewing.
Should any discrepancies be found in any candidate’s reports, individuals are entitled to file complaints with the police, provided they furnish credible evidence to support their claims.
Meanwhile, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said that he believed that candidates would hand over the reports next week. “Sri Lankans submit reports at the last minute,” he said.
Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) told The Island that the expenses reports would show the number of dummy candidates who contested the 21 September election.
“Candidates for the Presidential Election will submit their expenditure reports next week. I believe that some candidates will present reports stating that they have not spent any money. These are the so-called ‘dummy candidates,” he said.
If the EC does not take steps to reduce these dummy candidates, the number of dummy candidates would increase further in the future, he said. There had been a proposal to increase the electoral deposits that candidates had to place when contesting elections, he said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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