Presidential polls cannot be delayed by advancing general election – EC

UNP Gen. Secy. prefers contest between RW and rivals first

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Commissioner General of the Election Commission (EC) Saman Sri Ratnayake, yesterday (17) said that even if the government decided to advance the parliamentary polls, the coming presidential election could not be postponed.

Ratnayake said so when The Island sought his response to SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa’s recent declaration that his party preferred a general election first. In line with the Constitution, the presidential and parliamentary polls will have to be conducted between Sept 17-Oct 17, 2024 and by July/Aug 2025, respectively.

Ratnayake said that in terms of the Constitution, President Ranil Wickremesinghe could dissolve Parliament two and half years after the completion of its five-year term to pave the way for early election, but it would be the responsibility of the EC to ensure the presidential election as scheduled.

The EC consists of R. M. A. L. Rathnayake (Chairman), P. A. P.C. Perera,Ameer Faaiz, Anusuya Shanmuganathan and Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake.

Responding to further questions, Ratnayake acknowledged that it would be quite a challenge to conduct a general election ahead of the presidential election but whatever the practical difficulties the latter couldn’t be postponed.

The UNP has declared its leader and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the common candidate while the SJB and JVP/JJB, too, declared Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake as their presidential candidates.

Asked how the EC intended to obtain additional funding in case President Wickremesinghe dissolved Parliament in the coming weeks, Ratnayake said that in that case the President would have to allocate money from the Consolidated Fund. “The money allocated for the presidential poll through the 2024 Budget cannot be utilized for the general election,” Ratnatake said.

State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambapalitiya last year said that Rs 10 bn had been allocated through Budget 2024 for the presidential poll.

Asked whether the EC expected any unwarranted issues in the run-up to the presidential poll, the outspoken official stressed that all political parties were conversant with the presidential election law. Therefore, there couldn’t be any space for misunderstanding that the scheduled presidential election could be postponed on the promise of electoral reforms, Ratnayake said.

The official said so referring to the appointment of a 10-member presidential commission in the first week of November 2023 to obtain and submit information, investigate, inquire into and examine all existing election laws and regulations and make necessary recommendations for the amendment of election laws.

Headed by retired Chief Justice Priyasath Dep PC, the committee consists of Sundaram Arumanayagam Senanayakesa Alindralage,  Nalin Jayantha Abeysekera, Rajitha Naveen Christopher Senaratne, Ahmed Lebbe Mohammed Salim, Sagarika Delgoda, Esther Sriani Nimalka Fernando, and Deepani Samantha Rodrigo.

The commission is expected to submit its report within six months.

General Secretary of the UNP Palitha Range Bandara said that according to the Constitution the presidential election preceded the general election. Therefore, there couldn’t be any ambiguity regarding the conduct of the presidential poll later this year as stipulated by the Constitution.

Referring to the unprecedented political, economic and social crisis that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office in July 2022, the former UNP State Minister warned against further manipulations by various interested parties as the country couldn’t afford to trigger events that may lead to destabilization.

The official said that the UNP is convinced the presidential election should be held first as scheduled.

Following Basil Rajapaksa’s return to Colombo recently, he along with SLPP Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa met President Wickremesinghe to discuss cooperation between the UNP leader and the SLPP.

The SLPP in July 2022 elected Wickremesinghe as the President to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term.

Ex-lawmaker Bandara said that the UNP was going ahead with preparations for the presidential election.

The Commissioner General of EC said that the postponement of Local Government polls scheduled for March 2023 caused deterioration of public faith in the system though LG bodies could be run by appointing Special Commissioners.

In terms of the Constitution, Provincial Councils could be run by Governors appointed by the President and Parliament extended by a referendum like in 1982, Ratnayake said. “However, there is no provision whatsoever to put off presidential poll. That is the reality,” Ratnayake said.