• Criticises promotions under guise of projects

The polls monitor, the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) called upon the authorities to prevent public servants from using public money to promote Presidential candidates, citing it as a severe Election violation.

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday (5), PAFFREL’s Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi emphasised that certain public servants are engaging in promotional activities for Presidential candidates under the guise of initiating new projects, which he described as an illegal practice. 

"Using public money to promote Presidential candidates at a time when the Presidential Election is called is not legal," Hettiarachchi asserted. He further stressed that public servants, regardless of their position, do not have the authority to misuse public funds for Election propaganda. Speaking further, Hettiarachchi pointed out that many public servants who previously submitted nominations for the postponed Local Government Elections are reportedly continuing these practices. According to him, these public servants have been reinstated to their former working places since the said Elections’ postponement, which has in turn facilitated their misconduct. "This move has been a cause for this misconduct," Hettiarachchi noted, suggesting that their return to the same offices has enabled them to misuse public resources for electoral purposes. 

He also highlighted the need for stricter regulations and oversight to ensure free and fair elections, claiming that the misuse of public funds by public servants not only undermines the integrity of the electoral process but also erodes public trust in the institutions responsible for upholding democratic principles.