The Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake emphasized the need for stringent regulation of election finances, warning against the commercialization of the democratic process.
Speaking at a conference held in Colombo yesterday (17), Mr. Ratnayake asserted that the choice of the country’s leadership should not be influenced by financial transactions.
He highlighted the importance of ensuring that voters remain participants in the democratic process rather than being reduced to mere consumers during elections.
Furthermore, the Elections Commissioner General expressed concerns that the expected outcomes from the laws regulating election expenses have not been fully met in a way that the Election Commission expected.
“You can’t hold an election without money, but you also can’t use money to turn voters into customers,” Mr. Ratnayake stated.
“If voters are swayed by financial incentives, it undermines the integrity of the electoral process, which is why certain restrictions are essential”, he added.
In related developments, the Election Commission reported that it has received 519 complaints related to the upcoming presidential election.
