A leading election monitoring group said yesterday several millions of rupees were being spent on the presidential election campaign by candidates in the run up to the January 26 election.
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections Director Rohana Hettiarachchi told Daily Mirror a 18” by 24” poster costs about Rs.15 with a giant-size hoarding priced between Rs.200,000 and Rs.300,000 while the cost of smaller cut-outs range from between Rs.10,000 and Rs.50,000.
He said cut-outs and hoardings framed in iron cost much more than those with wooden frames.
“In the latest provincial council election more than Rs.20 million was spent by each candidate on the election campaign. If such amounts were spent in one district alone to conduct a candidate’s campaign for a PC election, you can then imagine what huge amounts need to be spent on the current presidential campaign,” Mr. Hettiarachchi said. He said local authorities such as the Pradeshiya Sabhas, Urban Councils or Municipal Councils should permit a candidate to display posters and cut-outs, and a particular amount of money must be paid for putting up advertisements.
“Although this is what is supposed to be done, most of the parties contesting an election do not abide by this rule,” Mr. Hettiarachchi said.
He said no specific law exists to control the amount of advertising carried out during an election campaign.