Viral Letter Allegedly from SJB Election Operations Head Sujeewa Senasinghe is Fake

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sri Lanka's main opposition party, has recently been the focus of numerous social media posts targeting its leadership, especially Sajith Premadasa. These posts often feature misleading claims and altered media, attempting to discredit Premadasa and the SJB in the lead-up to the general election.

Social Media Posts

A viral social media post claims that a letter with the letterhead of Sujeewa Senasinghe, head of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) election operations, contains a statement acknowledging that the SJB is ready to work with newly elected president Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The letter also reportedly states that the SJB's criticisms during the previous election were not based on reality and were simply part of the election campaign. The social media posts allege that the SJB admitted their statements were only meant to target the election and were not factual.

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Given this claim's potential political significance, we conducted a thorough fact check.

Fact-Checking Process:

1. Verification with Mainstream Media:

We conducted a detailed search across mainstream media outlets to verify whether Sujeewa Senasinghe or the SJB had made any official announcement regarding this claim. No reports or articles substantiated the content of this alleged letter.

There was no coverage in mainstream media either, indicating that the SJB had issued any such statement.

2. Consultation with the SJB Media Unit:

To verify the letter's authenticity further, we contacted the SJB media unit. According to their official response, the viral letter is fake. They clarified that the content attributed to Sujeewa Senasinghe was not true and that SJB had not issued any such statement.

Additionally, they pointed out several inconsistencies, including discrepancies in the letterhead used in the viral document. The media unit emphasised that the SJB stands by its previous criticisms of Anura Kumara Dissanayake and has not changed its stance.

3. Examination of the Letter's Authenticity:

We reviewed the viral letter and compared it to previous official communications from the SJB. The layout, formatting, and design of the letterhead in the viral post did not match genuine SJB letterheads, further confirming that the letter in question was fabricated.

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Conclusion:

The viral letter attributed to Sujeewa Senasinghe, claiming that the SJB is willing to cooperate with Anura Kumara Dissanayake and that their election criticisms, is fake. The SJB media unit has confirmed that no such letter was issued, and the viral document contains discrepancies that prove it is not genuine. Social media users are advised not to fall for this misleading information, which appears part of a disinformation campaign.