o Perks for former ministers, Speaker, and Opposition Leader o Govt. could use monies for public relief says JVP o Election monitors note violation of election laws Apart from cabinet ministers, state ministers have been given the green light by the Government to use their official vehicles for the promotion of their respective parties/candidacy at the upcoming parliamentary election, subject to some conditions, The Morning learnt. In the Cabinet Paper No. 20/0637/202/012, which was submitted by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday (6) and approved by the Cabinet on 18 March 2020, seen by The Morning, it is stated that the Prime Minister, the Speaker, all cabinet ministers, the Opposition Leader, state ministers, and other similar persons who use official vehicles and official residences provided to them by the Government as a privilege entitled to the post currently being held/previously held by them, could use the relevant official vehicles and residences for the promotion of their respective political parties/candidacy at the 2020 parliamentary election, under several conditions. The conditions include payment of a monthly fee of Rs. 100,000 per vehicle, payment of additional fuel expenses (that is, in addition to the amount of fuel currently provided for the official vehicles for official duties), and payment of the prescribed fee for the use of official vehicles and official residence (as mentioned above) to the relevant authority of the Government which has issued said vehicles and official residences; and payment of a fee, with regard to aeroplanes or helicopters, to the relevant authority. Further, it is stated in the Cabinet proposal that if aeroplanes or helicopters are used to promote political parties/candidacy, then all expenses must be personally borne by the users and if the Prime Minister, the Speaker, a minister, or the the Opposition Leader uses his official residence to promote their respective party/candidacy, then a monthly fee of Rs. 100,000 must be paid. The copies of the relevant Cabinet decision have also been sent to the Secretary General of Parliament and the Chairman of the Election Commission. Meanwhile, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has raised concerns about permitting state ministers to utilise official vehicles and residences during the election campaign period. Former JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti stressed that it was a clear violation of election laws, referring to a clarification made by EC Chairman Mahinda Desharpiya recently; that only cabinet ministers may use their residences and vehicles for election campaigns — a privilege not afforded to state ministers. Even the Rs. 100,000 paid to the ministry by a state minister, Handunnetti claimed, would be out of a Rs. 240,000 allowance. “If the Government decides to put a stop to this allowance, from a single official vehicle, they can give Rs. 5,000 to 48 families. About 40 state ministers are doing this illegally. If their total fuel allowance is halted, Rs. 5,000 can be paid to 4,900 families,” Handunnetti stressed. Meanwhile, speaking to The Morning, People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi also noted that the Cabinet decision taken to allow state ministers to use official vehicles and residences during election campaigns was a clear violation of election laws. “The Cabinet cannot take illegal decisions,” Hettiarachchi stressed. By Maheesha Mudugamuwa