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| - President Ranil Wickremesinghe Has NOT Paused His Presidential Election Campaign!
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Many were puzzled by the viral social media posts implying that the current President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, also among the candidates vying for the presidency term, had ended his campaign by accepting defeat just one week before the much-anticipated polls.
However, our investigation found these speculations baseless as Mr Wickreamsinghe continues his promotions in all digital, social and traditional media and islandwide political rallies.
Social Media Posts
In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, scheduled for September 21, claims have spread on social media that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has halted his political campaign. Posts suggest that he has ended his meetings, advertisements, and public appearances.
Fact Check
Verification:
Meetings and Campaign Activities: We first examined whether President Wickremesinghe has cancelled his scheduled meetings and public engagements. Upon investigation, we found that his campaign activities are still ongoing.
For example, he held a meeting in Jaffna as recently as September 14. Reviewing his campaign activities over the past few weeks shows a consistent pattern of public engagements and meetings. Some videos of such meetings can be reached here and here
Advertisements: We contacted several major newspapers to verify the claim about a halt in advertising campaigns. The marketing departments confirmed that President Wickremesinghe's campaign and pre-paid ads have continuously appeared without interruption. They provided examples of ads published on September 14th and 15th, further confirming the ongoing nature of his campaign promotion.
Television and Radio Campaigns: We also reached out to the marketing divisions of television and radio channels, who confirmed that President Wickremesinghe’s advertisements are being aired regularly, with no signs of a stoppage in his media campaigns. We checked a few major TV channels and noticed the ads were running in the news and other key programs.
Social Media and Online Campaigns: Our investigation into the president’s social media presence revealed that his campaign is active on various platforms, with regular posts and promotions. Additionally, his internet campaign, including Google advertisements, is also continuing.
Furthermore, through the Meta Ad library, we noticed that in recent weeks, Mr Wickremasinghe has been leading the campaign spending on ads related to Meta’s platforms. Some Facebook ads highlighting Mr Wickremasinghe’s campaign can be reached here, here, and here.
Campaign Team for President Wickremasinghe
The team handling the election campaign for Wickremasinghe confirmed that all leading weekend newspapers carried a false cover featuring the president, and all the prepaid ads on TV, radio, and digital platforms are running without any hindrance, and the viral social media posts on ending the campaign promotions are baseless.
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Conclusion:
The social media claims implying that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s election campaign has ceased are false. His meetings, advertisements in newspapers, TV and radio campaigns, and social media efforts continue as part of his active campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
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