Presidential Candidates Must Disclose Campaign Funds

News Today: Election Commission Demands Campaign Fund Disclosure Before September 21st

The Election Commission has demanded all Presidential candidates disclose their election campaign funding sources. With a spending cap in place, candidates must adhere to the budget set before the September 21st Presidential Election. A meeting at 10 a.m. today will finalize the campaign budget for each candidate, according to Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake.

Post-election, candidates have 21 days to declare their campaign expenditures and funding sources. The Election Commission will review these reports within 10 days and publish them online. Any discrepancies may lead to legal action.

International observers from the EU, Commonwealth, ANFREL, and South Asia, along with 15,000 local monitors, will oversee the election. PAFFREL will deploy 6000 observers, while CMEV will implement an AI-based monitoring process to detect misinformation and hate speech. This unique election will see the highest IT involvement to ensure transparency and fairness.

Former Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya expressed concern about paid campaigns spreading misinformation on social media, emphasizing the need for stringent monitoring. The involvement of foreign firms in AI-based election monitoring is expected to enhance the accuracy of detecting violations.