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| - Don’t Get Misled by Fake Rumors of Major Candidates Failing to Submit Income & Expenditure Reports : Presidential Election 2024
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Although the presidential election is over, misleading social media posts targeting the main candidates continue circulate. Despite the election results being finalised, these deceptive posts aim to undermine the credibility of the candidates and stir controversy. Let’s look at such posts related to election expenditure reports.
Social Media Posts
In the aftermath of the 2024 Sri Lankan Presidential Election, social media reports claimed that several major candidates, including the winner and president election, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, had failed to submit their election expenditure reports by the October 13, 2024, deadline. In addition, these posts highlighted that other major candidates, like Sajith Premadasa, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Namal Rajapaksa, failed to submit these income-expenditure reports within the stipulated timeline.
These reports stirred confusion, as they suggested prominent candidates' non-compliance, sparking concerns about transparency and adherence to the Election Expenditure Regulatory Act.
We decided to do a fact-check on this.
Fact-Check
We investigated these claims to determine their accuracy as they quickly gained traction online. Our fact-checking team found these social media posts were based on outdated and incomplete reports.
These reports were written before the final deadline (midnight of 13th October) for submitting income and expenditure statements, leading to the spread of misleading posts.
An article published in the Times online can be read here. Even though the article mentioned that only 13 out of 38 candidates had submitted the election expenditure reports by Friday (11th), many had missed that and understood the story portrayed by the title “Major presidential candidates fail to submit campaign finance details” as the final version.
Election Commission Confirmation
To verify the situation, we contacted the Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, who provided an updated statement. He clarified that only three candidates—Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera, former MP Sarath Keerthirathna, and Tamil common candidate Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran failed to submit their election expenditure reports by the deadline.
According to Saman Sri Ratnayake, 35 of the 38 candidates who successfully contested the election submitted their reports within the 21-day window following the announcement of the election results. This information contradicts social media claims suggesting that major candidates missed the deadline.
The three candidates who did not comply with the deadline now face potential legal consequences under the Election Expenditure Regulatory Act (2023 Number 03, Section 03). The Presidential Election Act of 1981 also outlines penalties, with fines reaching up to Rs. 100,000 for failing to meet the submission requirement.
Furthermore, as per the EC's statement, even though seven other candidates submitted their individual reports, their nominating parties failed to submit the parties’ expenditure reports.
The statement issued by the Election Commission can be seen below.
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Conclusion
Social media claims that major candidates failed to submit their expenditure reports are false. These reports were based on outdated information. As of the deadline, 35 out of 38 candidates, including all major ones, submitted their election campaign income and expenditure reports. The only exceptions were the three minor candidates mentioned, and legal actions are expected to be taken against them for non-compliance.
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