The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has announced that no budgetary allocations have been made for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2024. Director General Saman Sri Ratnayake emphasized that should the President choose to dissolve Parliament, he is obligated to release the necessary funds for the election from the national treasury.
Sri Ratnayake explained that following the dissolution of Parliament, the Election Commission is mandated to conduct elections within a timeframe of 52 to 66 days. This process begins with a gazette notice, issued by the President’s Secretary, which details the dates for nomination submissions, the election itself, and the reconvening of Parliament.
Currently, no financial provisions have been allocated for the parliamentary elections in 2024; however, the budget forecast for 2025 indicates that approximately 11 billion rupees will be required for conducting an election. The Director General reiterated that legal discussions regarding the parliamentary elections can only commence once the President’s Secretary signs and issues the relevant gazette notification outlining the election timeline.
