EC’s warning on Opinion poll surveys must be taken seriously - Zuhair

Former MP M. M. Zuhair said the Election Commission’s warning not to be misled by polls surveys must be taken seriously to protect national interests.  

Issuing a statement, he said, “Election Commission’s alert last Friday, urging Sri Lankan voters ‘not to be influenced or misled’ by surveys on the forthcoming presidential election conducted by various entities must be taken seriously by all Sri Lankan citizens to ensure a genuine Sri Lankan decision at the September 21st election.  

Indeed foreign social media platforms have unduly influenced election results in many Asian countries and gained leverage over these countries, even while pledging to uphold local election laws, the country’s economic interests and national welfare, he said.   

He added that international social media outlets have huge influential impact and together with their local agents with vested interests can discreetly change peoples’ perceptions and actual voting patterns based on these purported survey reports misleadingly in support of candidates supportive of external interests which often conflict with the country’s national interests.   

Purported surveys are an easy tool to deceptively project winning roles for the surveyors’ favoured candidate, which are invariably picked up by foreign owned media platforms he observed and went on to point out that notwithstanding this alert an organization financed by a foreign country has put out a survey report indicative of a winning role to a particular, well-known candidate.   

Election Commission’s warning in that context is most appropriate and timely Zuhair opined.   

In fairness to this body, it must be added that this organization has otherwise been in the forefront of fighting many court cases in defence of the rights of the public, while this candidate of late has been repeatedly attempting to cross swords with the judiciary most unacceptably.