Sri Lanka’s president Anura Kumara Dissanayake is facing growing controversy after an election monitoring body filed a formal complaint accusing him of violating election laws during the 2025 local government (LG) election campaign.
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) submitted its second complaint to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) on Friday, alleging that the president’s remarks at a series of election rallies constituted “undue influence and attempted bribery”. The complaint follows an earlier submission made on April 2, for which the CMEV says it has yet to receive an official acknowledgement.
At the heart of the controversy are statements made by Dissanayake during rallies across the island, including in Tissamaharama, Buttala, Kandy, Akkaraipattu, Sammanthurai, Kantale, Batticaloa, and Mannar. In his speeches, the president implied that local councils governed by the National People’s Power (NPP)—his own party—would receive quicker and easier access to government funding, while those controlled by opposition parties would face extensive scrutiny and delays.
“Before allocating funds, we have to inquire who is sending the proposal. If the Mannar Urban Council is with the NPP, then we will allocate funds with our eyes closed. However, if it is with another party, we will have to study the proposal at least 10 times. Why is this? Because we are not sure of those people,” the president said during one rally this month.
“Before allocating funds, we have to inquire who is sending the proposal. If the Mannar Urban Council is with the NPP, then we will allocate funds with our eyes closed. However, if it is with another party, we will have to study the proposal at least 10 times. Why is this?… pic.twitter.com/vygqjUmq7a
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) April 17, 2025
CMEV’s Chief Operating Officer, Professor Arjuna Parakrama, stated that the president’s remarks clearly violated Sections 82C (Undue Influence) and 82D (Bribery) of the Local Authorities Election Ordinance, which prohibits using state power to sway voter behaviour. “This phrase implies that for any resources needed, whether for roads, buildings, irrigation channels, schools, or otherwise, the voter has no choice but to vote only for the NPP,” Parakrama said.
He warned that such conduct from the head of state “undermines electoral fairness and intimidates those not aligned with his party”, urging the Election Commission to intervene and take immediate action.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the CMEV reports that its earlier complaint has not yet been formally acknowledged by the ECSL. In response, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said the complaint should have also been sent to the Presidential Secretariat to avoid delay. He noted that the legal division of the Commission had been occupied with nomination disputes, contributing to a delay in addressing the matter.
The president’s remarks also sparked criticism from former MP M.A. Sumanthiran, who tweeted“It is highly regrettable that Prez @anuradisanayake has chosen to repeatedly offer bribes to voters by stating that funds will be more easily allocated to councils governed by #NPP and not to others. This is false as it is an election offence.”
CMEV’s COO Professor Arjuna Parakrama, told the Sunday Times, “In every one of the eight rallies, the President repeatedly said that they would allocate the money ‘with their eyes closed’ only to the NPP proposals, which is simply unlawful… 1/2 https://t.co/zsIcZWy9ZB
— M A Sumanthiran (@MASumanthiran) April 20, 2025
Sumanthiran further cited Article 33(c) of Sri Lanka’s Constitution, which charges the president with ensuring the conditions for free and fair elections at the request of the Election Commission. “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” he asked. “Will ECSL act?”