The Election Commission (EC) made the decision to increase the amount of the deposit for Presidential candidates after consulting all the relevant stakeholders and considering the requirements that emerged in the present circumstances, said EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (8), he also said that public and civil society organisations hold different views in this regard and that therefore, anyone can raise concerns over the positive and negative impacts of the decision. He said that many parties, including the election monitors, have stressed the importance of changing the amount of deposits and fines for misconduct related to elections, in view of rising election-related costs and other issues. 

He further stated that the EC consulted the Parliament, the Attorney General’s Department, and other public and private sector stakeholders prior to making the particular decision, stating that it was not a move taken solely by the EC. He also said that these changes are applicable to all elections, not only the Presidential Election. According to Rathnayake, the main objective of these changes is to transform the country’s election system according to the present situation.

He made these remarks following a letter written by the Frontline Socialist Party to the EC, raising concerns about its decision to increase deposits that candidates have to place when contesting elections. In the said letter, the Party's Propaganda Secretary, Duminda Nagamuwa, said that the decision in question was taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to restrict politics to a particular class. According to Nagamuwa, a person contesting the Presidential Election from a registered party has to place Rs. 2.4 million as a deposit, which cost only Rs. 50,000 previously, while a person contesting the Presidential Election independently has to deposit Rs 3.1 million, which was only Rs. 75,000 earlier.