EC reveals candidates’ expenditure for 2024 Presidential Election

The Election Commission has made public the document detailing the expenses incurred by candidates who contested the last presidential election.

Accordingly, the presidential candidate of the ‘Samagi Jana Balavegaya’ (SJB), Sajith Premadasa’s expenses are the highest in the 2024 presidential election, with the figure exceeding Rs. 1.12 billion. 

Specifically, he has spent a sum of Rs. 936,258,524.60 as a candidate, while the SJB has contributed Rs. 194,087,715.04 to this expense.

The second-highest spender in the election was the independent candidate, Ranil Wickramasinghe, who spent Rs. 990,327,687.16, making him the highest spender among the independent candidates.

The candidate of the National People’s Party (NPP), Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who won the presidential election this year, did not incur any personal expenses. However, the NPP has spent Rs. 527,999,889.38 on election-related activities.

The presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Namal Rajapaksa, who had placed fourth in the election, also did not use personal funds for his campaign. His party spent Rs. 388,939,085.00 on his behalf.

Entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera, who contested from the Communist Party of Sri Lanka in this year’s presidential election, had spent Rs. 324,643,246.05 from his personal funds on his campaign. The party had not borne any expenses for him.

According to the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, all candidates were required to submit detailed reports regarding their expenditures for the 2024 presidential election. 

The Gazette had stipulated that the maximum amount one candidate can spend on behalf of each voter is Rs. 109. 

Therefore, the total allowed expenditure for each candidate, taking into consideration all voters, was Rs. 1,868,298,586.

Of the 38 candidates who contested in the presidential election, only 35 have submitted their expense reports. These reports are currently displayed at the Election Commission office in Rajagiriya and all district secretariats.