Sri Lanka’s “Independent” Election Commission Gas Cylinder Blunder!
Unbeknown to the electorate is the news circulating across social media regarding a major inexcusable faux pas by both the so-called independent Election Commission & the lawyers & secretary of the President. The issue at hand is the gas cylinder symbol. When the gas cylinder symbol had been officially allocated for an independent group contesting the so-far not held local government elections in 2023, why was this symbol taken by the President contesting as an independent candidate himself for the Presidential Election? Clearly, both the Election Commission & the President’s lawyers/secretary are at fault and an injustice has been done to the independent group who had been allocated the gas cylinder in 2023.
The Sri Lanka Presidential Elections are already finalized. Presidential Elections will be held on 21 September 2024. According to media a record 39 individuals are contesting to become the next President of Sri Lanka. The 27inch ballot paper is likely to cost a whooping Rs.400m. Applications for postal voting has also finished.
One of the key arguments for the election commission to be “independent” was to function without interference. Nevertheless, this has got to be the biggest faux pas that a so-called independent commission can make all on its own. The Commission had given the cylinder symbol only the previous year in 2023. Surely, this cannot have escaped their attention when giving symbols to the candidates to select. Evidence of this allocation is shown in below attachment
While the President & his team would have jumped to pick the gas cylinder as it is election campaign savvy, they too have made a major blunder in not ensuring that the symbol had not been taken. The onus is on the candidate & his legal team to do so. Which is why candidates go with their lawyers to check the legality of the documents before signing so that nominations do not get rejected.
As for the aggrieved party who was originally allocated the gas cylinder symbol in 2023. They have filed complaint with the Election Commission, who have accepted their complaint.
With printing of ballot papers already finalized, the ball is now in the court of the Election Commission to ensure that the gas cylinder allocated in 2023 is not dismissed & given to the President contesting as an independent candidate himself.
Furthermore, the Election Commission must also explain why, when the Court ruled to hold local government elections in 2023, it was delayed for lack of allocating funds but enough funds are suddenly available for the Presidential Elections!
So much for the ‘independent election commission’ who have added to the voter’s woes by making a faux pas that has now turned into a legal dilemma.
Looks like the gas cylinder has blown in front of both the Election Commission & the sitting President!
What will happen if the individual entity originally given the gas cylinder goes to court against the injustice? Is that the end of the President’s election campaign? So far he has launched an islandwide campaign using the gas cylinder!
The election commission has landed the election in a turmoil!
Will President get disqualified from the election race?
Does this mean, the elections will get delayed?
Shenali D Waduge
