Did Sajith Premadasa Violate Election Law by Holding a Welfare Program in a School?
Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel As the presidential election in Sri Lanka draws closer, an increasing amount of altered and misleading content is being circulated about Sajith Premadasa, the opposition leader. These false narratives are part of a growing trend aimed at discrediting him during this critical period. Social Media Posts A photo of Sri […]
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As the presidential election in Sri Lanka draws closer, an increasing amount of altered and misleading content is being circulated about Sajith Premadasa, the opposition leader. These false narratives are part of a growing trend aimed at discrediting him during this critical period.
Social Media Posts
A photo of Sri Lanka’s opposition leader Sajith Premadasa taking a selfie with teachers in a school hall has gone viral on social media. The posts accompanying the photo claim that Premadasa conducted a welfare program in the school after the announcement of the presidential election, suggesting a violation of election law.
The above post sarcastically said it's the SJB teacher's summit.
Background:
On July 26, 2024, Sri Lanka's Election Commission announced that the presidential election would be held on September 21, 2024. From the day of this announcement, election laws prohibit candidates from organizing welfare programs, distributing goods, or offering services to the public, as such activities could influence voters.
Investigation:
The claim suggests that Premadasa held this welfare program after July 26, thereby violating the election law. However, our investigation reveals that this claim is misleading.
The event in question was part of Premadasa’s long-running "Sakwala" initiative, which focuses on providing digitalized classrooms, buses, and books to school children across the country. This particular event was held on July 24, 2024, at Mahagamasekara Vidyalaya in Dompe, before the election date was announced.
The same selfie photo published with a description on website of Mawrata newspaper.It can be read here
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hg7pG4LzmYAGJd4m
And we saw , same set of teachers at the function in below photo in different angle.
George Perera, a local politician, who also attended to the event, confirmed that event was held on July 24th at Mahagamsekara Vidyalaya before the announcement of presidential election.
Moreover, Sajith Premadasa deposited his bond money as a presidential candidate only after the announcement on July 26, further confirming that the event took place before he became an official candidate.
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Conclusion:
The viral photo and associated claims are misleading. The welfare program in the photo took place before the election announcement and the activation of election laws. Therefore, Sajith Premadasa did not violate any election regulations.And photo does not depict teacher's summit.It's a photo of the teachers of Mahagamasekara school.
Title:Did Sajith Premadasa Violate Election Law by Holding a Welfare Program in a School?
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: Misleading
