Prime Minister under probe over alleged election law violation

PAFFREL claims the PM’s remarks promoted electioneering beyond the legal campaign deadline 

By Yohan Perera   

Sri Lanka’s main election monitoring body, People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), has requested the Election Commission to inquire into the complaint that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya violated the election by asking her party’s supporters to campaign even during the silent period. 

PAFFREL has written to Election Commission Chairman R. M. A. L. Ratnayake in this regard.  “We have monitored that Prime Minister Amarasuriya has made a remark which could be seen as encouraging her supporters to engage in the campaign even after the silent period, which ended on May 3, 2025. The Prime Minister’s remark is an act of encouraging her supporters to violate electoral law while she has neglected the law herself,” PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said in his letter.  

Meanwhile, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) also lodged a complaint against Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya for the same reason. SJB MP Mujibur Rahman handed over the written complaint to the Election Commission last morning. SJB also called for action against the Premier. MP Rahman called for legal action against the Prime Minister.   

The campaigning period for the local government election ended at midnight Saturday, May 3, 2025. No party can legally engage in an election campaign during this period as per the law.