The Election Commission has decided to impose a legal limit on the maximum amount that can be spent on an election campaign program, with the intention of regulating the expenses of presidential election candidates. According to the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, the amount authorised to be spent per voter must be published in a gazette within five days of announcing presidential nominations.

Accordingly, the commission has stated in a special election gazette that the maximum amount a presidential candidate can spend on one voter for the election campaign is 109 rupees.

The Election Commission stated that these expenditure limits had been decided in consultation with all recognised political party candidates, other political party candidates and candidates who submitted nominations for the presidential election.

Accordingly, one candidate can spend no more than 109 rupees for one voter registered in the voter list, and the maximum limit that can be spent for all 17.1 million voters this time is 186 crores (Rs. 1,868,298,586). A presidential candidate can bear 60% of that amount or nearly one hundred and twelve crore rupees (Rs. 1,120,979,151) as his campaign expenses.

Apart from that, the Election Commission also further stated that the remaining 40% or nearly Rs. 747,319,434, can be spent by the secretary of a recognised political party or another political party or the voter who nominated a candidate for the presidential election for the candidate’s campaign work.

Furthermore, the expenditure report, including the election campaign expenses, must be submitted to the Election Commission within 21 days after the election results are announced. The Election Commission has stated that the report should include detailed information on how money was received for campaign expenses and how it was spent.

The Election Commission has further indicated in its gazette that not submitting the report within the due date or having errors in the report is an illegal act and, thus, should be subjected to punishment under the Presidential Election Act. More information here.

According to the Election Act of Sri Lanka, the Election Commission determines a candidate's expenditure limits. Candidates or their agents may not use funds illegally beyond the given limit and may be subjected to legal action if they do so.

This limit has been imposed to prevent illegal election expenses, as many questions are raised about the fairness of the election process. Adherence to these rules and regulations is essential to ensuring the fairness and transparency of the election.

2019 Presidential Election.

Election monitoring groups have emphasised limiting this type of election spending. The Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), which monitored the last 2019 election campaign expenditure, indicated that Gotabaya Rajapaksha, who represented the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, and Sajith Premadasa, who represented the New Democratic Front, spent 1,826 million and 1,737 million, respectively, for election campaigns.

UPFA