Election campaign financing capped at MVR 567m per candidate
The General Elections Act states that a candidate must spend no more than MVR 2,000 per eligible voter in a constituency.
Top Stories
-
Body of police officer recovered after disappearance at sea
-
Nasheed team pledges legal support for employees facing dismissal
-
Meekail says party unity key to avoiding repeat of 2023 split
-
Sodiq to be sworn in as Hithadhoo North MP on Monday
-
Police officer accused of child sexual abuse remanded for 30 days
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
The Elections Commission (EC) has fixed a maximum spending limit of MVR 564.7 million for each candidate contesting the upcoming presidential election.
The EC's decision was based on the General Elections Act, which states that a candidate must spend no more than MVR 2,000 per eligible voter in a constituency.
The total number of eligible voters in the September 9 presidential election is 282,348. Based on the figure, the maximum spending limit is calculated by multiplying the total number of voters with the amount set per person.
The EC's vice-president, Ismail Habeeb, said that the maximum spending limit is intended to ensure that all candidates have a fair chance of competing in the election. He also said that the EC will closely monitor the spending of all candidates to ensure that they do not exceed the limit.
In addition to the maximum spending limit, the EC has also set a number of other restrictions on campaign financing. For example, individuals are only allowed to donate up to 0.5% of the per capita income of all eligible voters in a constituency, and legal entities are only allowed to donate up to 2% of that amount.
All campaign-related expenses must be deposited into a special account that is opened in the name of each candidate. The EC will also require candidates to keep detailed records of all campaign donations and expenditures.
