Election to cost millions more
By Shelani Perera
A fresh election would cost the country several million rupees more than the Rs. 650 million the country spent at the 2001 General Election. An island wide election, be it Presidential, General election , local government or Provincial Council election, is estimated to cost much more than 650 million rupees because of the increase in the prices of print and other material, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissianayake said adding that his department was ready to face an election.

"We are ready to face an election. It is difficult to estimate the exact election cost but it will be certainly more than the cost of the last election. If an election is held on a staggered basis the cost will be more," he said.

On the tenth day from the announcement of the proclamation on dissolving Parliament, nomination have to be called and nominations closed by the 17th day from the date of the proclamation. Elections cannot be held before five weeks of closing of nominations and eight weeks after closing nominations.

Mr. Dissanayake said that if an election is held the Department would use the 2002 electoral register, which includes certain sections of the North and East. “Elections in the North and East will be conducted in the same manner as in 2001. We won't be able to hold elections in the uncleared areas, which would result in filing fundamental rights applications, like in previous cases,” the polls chief said.

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