• To commence talks if Treasury funds not forthcoming by end of the week 

The Election Commission (EC), which is yet to decide on what steps should be taken if the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies, and the general Treasury do not release the necessary funds for the holding of the Local Government (LG) Elections, is scheduled to take a final decision in that regard by the end of this week, The Daily Morning learned.

The Daily Morning yesterday (13) queried EC Chairman, Attorney Nimal G. Punchihewa as to whether the EC would initiate fresh legal action or make fresh submissions related to the ongoing legal proceedings pertaining to the LG Elections, or seek a meeting with President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, if the Treasury does not release the required funds. In response to the query, he said: "There have been no discussions about this matter. We are still hoping that we will receive the funds, but we will have to meet and have discussions if we do not receive them.

"When queried as to how long the EC would wait for the Treasury to release the funds, he said: "We have to make a decision by the end of this week. We will see if the Treasury would release funds before then. If they (Treasury) don't, we will decide on the next course of action."

The Daily Morning also queried Punchihewa about the statement made by Government Printer Gangani Liyanage that the printing of postal ballot papers would not be concluded by 21 March as expected by the EC due to the required funds not being released by the Treasury, and also because, even if the funds are received, there is a need to make a request to the Department of Police three to four days in advance in order to obtain security to the Department of Government Printing. Responding to the query, he said: "If the ballot papers are not given, the Elections cannot be held. However, it is said that the Government Printing Department has printed ballot papers required for 17 Districts as of now. I do not know if she is having an issue with giving us those ballot papers too. Anyway, we have to look into all these matters by the end of this week. We will then make a decision."

Claiming that it is unlikely that the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry and the Treasury would release required funds to the EC to conduct the LG elections, Punchihewa had previously told the media that the only remedy would be to seek redress from the Supreme Court (SC) once again as a last option.

While the SC, considering a fundamental rights application filed by Samagi Jana Balawegaya General Secretary and Opposition Parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara, has issued an interim order preventing the Secretary to the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry and the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana from withholding funds allocated for election purposes through the 2023 Budget, he (Siriwardana) has however not taken steps yet to release the required funds and instead forwarded the recent related requests made by the EC and the Government Printer to subject Minister, President Ranil Wickremesinghe,