Sri Lanka's August 5 general election will be held at a cost of 10 billion rupees, becoming the costliest poll in the country's history, according to a media report.
Over 16 million voters are registered for next week's election to form the 225-member Parliament for a 5-year term. The election commission has been struggling to make arrangements for a free and fair poll due to the health risks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to Daily Mirror Lanka, Election Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said the entire poll process will cost at least 10 billion rupees, an inflated budget compared to other years mostly due to several health precautions and deployment of additional staff.