Sri Lankan president allocates 16.6 mln USD for parliamentary election

COLOMBO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) — Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has allocated 5 billion rupees (approximately 16.6 million U.S. dollars) to fund the parliamentary election scheduled for Nov. 14, said a spokesperson on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press briefing following the first cabinet meeting chaired by Dissanayake, cabinet spokesperson Vijitha Herath noted that a total of 11 billion rupees (about 36.6 million dollars) was required to conduct the parliamentary election.
Herath explained that the 2024 budget only allocated funds for the presidential election held on Sept. 21, leaving no provisions for the upcoming parliamentary election.
However, under presidential authority, Dissanayake has allocated 5 billion rupees to cover part of the election expenses, with the remaining 6 billion rupees to be settled in 2025 through a vote on account, which will be submitted to parliament as part of the 2025 budget.
The cabinet of ministers has approved this plan to secure funding for the election, according to Herath.
After being elected as the country’s president, Dissanayake dissolved the parliament through an extraordinary gazette notification last week.
The gazette has fixed the parliamentary election for Nov. 14 and the new parliament will meet for the first time on Nov. 21. ■