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Election campaign costs Rs. 3108 million so far: CMEV

14 November 2019 04:08 am - 4     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The report released by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) yesterday estimates that a total of Rs. 3,108 million has been spent by five candidates for their presidential election campaigning between October 14 to November 10.

CMEV National Coordinator Manjula Gajanayake said that Rs. 1,518 million in which 49 per cent of the total estimated cost was spent by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Rs. 1,422 million has been spent for the election campaign of the New Democratic Front (NDF). It was 46 percentage shares of total estimated costs. He said these costs were incurred by candidates for their printed media, electronic media, social media and other ground-level election campaigns.

Accordingly, the costs of the SLPP has been estimated as Rs. 82 million for print media, Rs. 853 million for electronic media and Rs. 583 million as other costs while the NDF spent Rs. 175 million for print media, Rs. 544 million for electronic media and Rs. 703 million for its ground-level campaigns.

The CMEV estimates a total of Rs. 160 million for National People’s Power (NPP) election campaign, Rs. 6 million for Jana Setha Peramuna (JSP) and Rs. 2 million for National People’s Movement (NPM). Manjula Gajanayake said the majority of ads is being circulated in Facebook by the SLPP. The SLPP had shared 74 per cent ads in FB while 24 per cent ads shared on Facebook by the NDF and 2 per cent by the NPP.

Meanwhile, commenting on the expense for a voter, he said the election commission has allocated Rs. 5,500 million for 15,992,096 registered number of voters which is a Rs. 344 cost per voter. The CMEV urged the Election Commission to ask from political parties to reveal the source of funds used for election campaigning.

The CMEV requested citizens and the civil society to launch a strong campaign to introduce regulatory mechanisms to monitor financial expenses.

They demand to use mechanisms such as the RTI Act to seek information on election campaign costs. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)


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  • Costa Thursday, 14 November 2019 07:21 AM

    Could have paid some of our national debts with this sort of money.... and stilll they say they are working for the betterment of people... hahahah.... and our gullible voters believe and go to polls thinking these are saints of st kitts..... God save all....

    Riyal Thursday, 14 November 2019 11:30 AM

    Just curious how much of foreign Debt could have been settled by this? and if u take the total cost for the election together i think the so called loan due that is to come in Q1 next Yr.

    ANTON Thursday, 14 November 2019 12:04 PM

    DOES THIS INCLUDE DAILY NEWS PAPER FRONT PAGES OF THEM.

    Phil Sanmuganathan Thursday, 14 November 2019 12:45 PM

    Where did this money come from. None of the candidates are businessmen professionals or entreuprourners. Money thieved from the state, your foreign debt.


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