A collective of election tracking organisations have actually written to the Ministry of Finance, advising to launch the funds needed by the Election Commission to hold the 2023 Local Government (LG) election.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the group highlighted that as per the previous requests made by the Commission, the Parliament has currently designated money for the 2023 LG election.

Appropriately, they requested that the required funds, which have actually already been approved by the Parliament through the 2023 Budget, be launched to the commission immediately, allowing them to proceed with the due process.

The group kept in mind that while the commission is statutorily bound to carry out the election according to Article 104b of the Constitution, it is also the responsibility of all state institutions and federal government authorities to comply with the instructions of the commission in this regard, as per Article 104b (2 ).

It was noted that as per Article 104GG (1) of the Constitution, any public officer who declines or stops working to work together with the commission relating to the enforcement of any law with regards to the holding of the election, without any sensible cause, shall be guilty of an offence.

Thus, the collective, consisting of the Peoples Action free of charge and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), Mothers and Daughters of Lakbima (MDL) and the National Polls Observation Centre (NPOC), advised the Ministry of Finance to launch the appropriate funds, mentioning that the elections were essential aspect of individualss sovereignty.