Financial statements from 333 candidates pending as deadline nears

Elections Commission (EC) states they only received financial statements from 35 candidates who contested in April’s parliamentary election as the deadline to file the statement nears.

EC’s member Hassan Zakariyya told Sun that the commission will be seeking action against candidates who fail to submit the financial statement by the deadline through the Prosecutor General (PG), as mandated by the law.

Zakariyya detailed that the law states candidates will face a prison sentence or fine, if they fail to submit the financial statement.

“If the financial statement has not been submitted, a prison sentence, or a fine, stipulated by the law, will be sought. PG will decide how to move forward,” he said.

According to Zakariyya, only 35 candidates submitted their financial statements as of Thursday, meaning, financial statements from 333 candidates are pending.

The deadline to submit the financial statement is Wednesday, May 22^nd.

Former EC vice president Ismail Habeeb, in a post on X, said all candidates who contested the parliamentary election, whether they were elected or not, will be mandated to submit their financial statement before Wednesday.

He added that the financial statement must include all bills concerning every transaction listed in the bank statement.

A total of 368 candidates contested in April’s parliamentary elections triumphed by ruling PNC, which secured supermajority with 77 seats.