The Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill with amendments was passed in Parliament today with a majority of 61 votes.
When the Division was taken at the Third Reading, 97 Members of Parliament voted in favor of the Bill while 36 MPs voted against the Bill.
Parliamentarians of many political parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the National People’s Power, voted against the bill.
Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe presented the bill for the Second Reading debate.
The Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill which discloses the parties providing money for election campaigns, is expected to bring about accountability and responsibility in campaign spending.
The leaders of several political parties of the opposition expressed their objection in the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs regarding the debating of this bill when an election has been declared.
The leaders of the opposition parties requested to include a clause that the bill will not affect the upcoming Local Government elections if the bill is debated, but the government did not agree to that.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier said the Bill will have no adverse effect on the process underway for the conduct of the Local Government Election.