Efforts to politicise financial allocations to Local Government authorities

PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Disanayake’s veiled threats to cut off funding to Local Government (LG) bodies that will not be controlled by the ruling party NPP has created a political hullabaloo whilst creating bemusement among activists who expected virtues of exemplary public governance by those who promised an era of renaissance and a break from the business as usual.

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During public meetings held in Kantale, Mannar, and several other areas, Disanayake declared that he would readily allocate funds to local government institutions governed by the NPP, but he had claimed that he would think 10 times before extending financial grants to LG institutions that are not run by the NPP. In the aftermath of the controversy, Chairman of the Election Commission Ananda Ratnayake is reported to have sent a letter to the President, requesting him to refrain from making such remarks that could potentially lead to undue political influence.

Many election observation organisations had pointed out that the Head of State’s remarks may violate the provisions of the Local Government Elections Act, specifically Sections 92C (Undue Influence) and 82D (Promises of Maximum Advantage). Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Chief Operating Officer Professor Arjuna Parakrama had emphasised that the presidential utterances undermine electoral fairness apart from intimidating voters who are not aligned with his political outfit.