Independent presidential candidate Janaka Ratnayake submitted a formal complaint to the Election Commission today, expressing concerns over the selection process for a Presidential Candidate debate organized by PAFFREL, an election watchdog.
Ratnayake criticized the decision to select only six out of the thirty-nine presidential candidates for a debate scheduled for the 7th of next month. He argued that this selection process is unfair to the remaining thirty-three candidates, as it disproportionately promotes the chosen six and provides them with undue media coverage.
“We have explained to the Commissioner General about this injustice and expressed our protest today,” Ratnayake stated.
He further demanded that the Election Commission cancel the event immediately, warning that failure to do so would result in legal action being taken to halt the proceedings.
Ratnayake questioned the criteria used to select the six candidates and called for transparency in the process. “What is the method chosen by these six people? What is the disqualification of others? An unfair system,” he remarked.
A day earlier, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said that it has organized a debate featuring presidential candidates.
Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of PAFFREL, announced that six candidates have been invited to participate in the debate.
These candidates include Ranil Wickramasinghe, Sajith Premadasa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Dilith Jayaweera, Namal Rajapaksa, and Arianethran, who represent the Tamil community in the north.
“So far, two of the main candidates have confirmed their participation,” Hettiarachchi stated.
PAFFREL believes that this program will effectively reach the 17.1 million people across the country, offering them a unique chance to engage with the candidates’ proposals and visions for Sri Lanka’s future.
