Educating public on Campaign Finance laws imperative – CaFFE

BY PRIYAN DE SILVA

Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Manas Makeen said yesterday that as the Presidential  election WA due in 2024,  it was imperative  that the public be made aware of the Campaign Finance Regulation Act, which has been in force from 24 January 2023.

Makeen said that as a first step, CaFFE intended to update its electoral coordinators on the Campaign Finance Regulation Act and empower them to educate their election monitors and general public through civil society organisations.

The CaFFE chief said that as there were numerous requests from female members of Local Government bodies who were not selected for  ‘Janani’ (a project initiated by CaFFE  to enhance digital literacy and confidence building of female members of LG bodies), to provide them the opportunity as well, he had met with the funders to discuss recommencing ‘Janani’.

Makeen said that he together with CaFFE’s Director of Administration Surangi Ariyawansa had met First Secretary (Political Affairs) of the Embassy of Switzerland a few weeks back and discussed the current political affairs and CaFFE’s initiatives towards the election monitoring mechanism including Campaign Finance Regulation and ‘Janani’.