September 14, Colombo (LNW): The Election Commission has escalated proceedings against several candidates from the 2024 Presidential Election who failed to comply with mandatory financial disclosure requirements, forwarding relevant case files to the Attorney General’s Department for further consideration.
According to officials, five individuals who contested the presidential race did not submit their legally required statements detailing income and campaign-related expenses, as stipulated under the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 3 of 2023. The Commission is now seeking legal advice from the Attorney General on how to proceed with potential prosecutions.
The legislation, enacted to ensure greater financial transparency in electoral processes, obliges all candidates to declare their campaign funding sources and expenditures within a specified timeframe. Failure to comply is considered a punishable offence under the Act.
In addition to the five presidential candidates, the Commission revealed that 13 other individuals, linked to various election activities, also failed to meet the reporting requirements. Law enforcement authorities have been directed to take appropriate action against those parties, with investigations currently underway.
Statements have already been obtained from the defaulting candidates, and the matter has been formally referred to court for further legal proceedings.
