SJB hits President with voter persuasion allegations

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, alleging that the President’s Media Division (PMD) has engaged in improper voter persuasion in favour of Presidential candidate Ranil Wickramasinghe. The complaint centres around the dissemination of a message from the PMD by a news alert service claiming that Sri Lanka had reached agreements with external commercial creditors to restructure approximately $ 17.5 billion of external debt, securing a 40.3% Net Present Value (NPV) concession.

The SJB contends that this message is being used to promise voters a reduction in the national debt burden and lower interest rates, which they argue amounts to an improper inducement ahead of the upcoming election.

The SJB’s lawyers argue that these promises violate Sub-section (2) of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2394 / 58, dated 26-07-2024, which explicitly prohibits offering inducements or promises to sway voter opinion. They assert that the message is an attempt to influence voters by making unverified financial promises, thereby compromising electoral fairness.

Furthermore, the SJB claims that the PMD’s actions represent a serious violation of election laws, stating that promoting Wickremesinghe’s candidacy under the guise of debt consolidation reform is an unethical strategy aimed at gaining voter support.

In their complaint, the SJB has called for immediate legal action to have the message removed from all media platforms. They are urging the Election Commission to take swift measures in line with the provisions of the Presidential Election Act to ensure that the election process remains transparent and fair. The SJB also stressed the importance of preventing any further dissemination of the content in question to protect the integrity of the election.