Election Observers Report Bribery and Abuse Of Power in Presidential Election

COLOMBO (News 1st); Election observers have raised concerns over alleged bribery and misuse of state power by some public representatives in the run up to the presidential election.

According to Rohana Hettiarachchi, the Executive Director of the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), a total of 84 complaints have been received so far, primarily related to the misuse of state power and property.

Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies, reported that 44 complaints have been lodged regarding violations of election laws.

Additionally, the police operation room has received 9 complaints related to the presidential election, with 4 specifically concerning election law violations and 5 involving acts of violence.

The National Election Commission has also reported a significant number of complaints, totaling 320.

Of these, 103 complaints have been directed to the District Election Complaints Management Center, while the remaining 214 have been reported to the National Election Complaints Management Center.