Colombo: The Election Commission of Sri Lanka (EC) on Saturday appealed to voters not to take photographs or videos inside polling stations during the presidential election and warned that violators would be dealt with severely. On Thursday, The Daily Financial Times quoted EC chairman Mahinda Deshapriya as saying, "This is a secret poll and no one should take photographs of their marked or unmarked ballots and put them on social media."
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He has also instructed voters to turn off their mobile phones while entering the polling booth. A government notification prohibiting such things was issued by the Election Commission two weeks ago. Sri Lanka's citizen, with a population of around 16 million, will vote on Saturday to elect the eighth president of the country, with a record 35 candidates in the fray.
It will also be the most expensive election in the history of the country, with the Election Commission estimating that this election will cost around 7.5 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($ 4.1 million). The Daily Financial Times said that 26-inch ballot paper, large ballot boxes, hundreds of extra staff on election duty and additional expenses such as water, telephone, and electricity bills are factors that have increased the electoral bill.
