The government gave a very bad precedent by hastily passing an act to regulate election expenditure to spoil a good move, said MP Patali Champika Ranawaka.
A very progressive act of such nature has rather become an act to postpone local government polls now, he said.
Ranawaka described the bill tabled in the House yesterday (19) as a very important one to put a big stop to the use of money and the media for candidates to win elections.
Ranawaka said that pursuant to one of the nine proposals made by him, also backed by SJB’s Eran Wickramaratne, the justice minister included television and radio to the act, which he expected would regulate such media during elections.
The government is giving a very bad example if it uses this as a tool to put off LG polls, he said, adding that it rejected a proposal made by chief opposition whip Lakshman Kirilla that this act should not apply for the LG polls.
The MP said further the finance secretary’s submission to the court that there was no money to hold an election too, was a very bad precedent.
Ranawaka invited all parties in the opposition to build a common front with a 90 per cent power base that will force the president to take to their line instead of leaning onto the SLPP for support.
Or else, the president will have to quit, he said, adding that this should be made a very powerful opinion mandated by the public.
