Colombo, Feb.27 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will dissolve Parliament on March 2nd evening and will declare a parliamentary election on April 25, government sources told newsin.asia on Thursday.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has already informed his party to begin preparations for campaigning saying the President had hinted of dissolving Parliament on Monday night.
According to the Elections Commission the cost of the upcoming parliamentary election will cost an estimated Rs.7 billion to Rs. 7.5 billion should there be an increase in the number of independent groups contesting.
Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya quoted in the local Daily Mirror said that currently there were 70 registered political parties of which 64 were active and that at the current figures the estimated cost of holding the general election was estimated to cost between Rs.5 billion and Rs.6 billion but was bound to rise if more candidates register.
EC sources said since candidates only have to pay a fee of Rs.2,000 to register for the polls, several more Independent candidates are expected to contest countrywide. Colombo District has the highest number of candidates with 22 contestants.
