March 19, Colombo (LNW): The government faces an additional financial burden of Rs.11 billion should a snap parliamentary election be declared before the constitutionally mandated Presidential Election, a report by Daily Mirror disclosed. This expenditure would be on top of the already allocated over Rs.10 billion in the 2024 budget to the Election Commission for the upcoming Presidential Election. A spokesperson for the Election Commission confirmed that no funds were earmarked in the current budget for a General Election, as one is not slated for this year. However, President Ranil Wickremesinghe retains the authority to dissolve Parliament at his discretion, potentially prompting a snap general election. In such a scenario, he holds the power to allocate funds from the Consolidated Fund to facilitate the election. As per the Constitution, the President has the prerogative to dissolve Parliament and set a date for a general election. If Parliament has not already provided for such expenses, the President, after consulting with the election authorities, can authorise allocations from the Consolidated Fund for the necessary expenditure, according to report. Presently, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which provides parliamentary support to the President’s administration, advocates for a general election. Conversely, the United National Party (UNP), led by the President, contends that holding a general election at this juncture would be ill-advised.