Only 4 complaints of misuse of public resources - TISL

By Leenah Wahab   

The recent General Election saw only 3 complaints about misuse of state funds and 1 regarding state vehicles, election watchdog Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) reported yesterday.   

TISL deployed a team of 200 election observers at district level to monitor the recently concluded Parliamentary election, with a special emphasis on misuse of state resources. They noted that there was a sharp reduction in mismanagement of public resources from the 2024 Presidential election, in which they recorded 343 complaints.   

Additionally, there was a significant decrease in cases of government officials promoting political parties and independent groups from 155 incidents during the Presidential election to a mere 63.   

Of the total 1092 complaints received, 889 pertained to the illegal display of posters, cut-outs, banners, and other unauthorized materials in public spaces. 

 During the pre-election period, TISL further observed 30 violations related to party offices, 25 involving the use of state or developmental meetings for political purposes, 20 about the distribution of goods and services, 15 involving promotions, demotions, or transfers of public officials, 15 instances of misuse involving state, private, or social media, 6 occasions of manipulating state-sponsored development projects, livelihood grants, or allowances for election purposes, and 23 miscellaneous complaints.   

Moreover, on Election Day, TISL obtained 215 complaints regarding voter influence, illegal campaigning and vote-buying attempts.   

After thorough verification, over 900 complaints were forwarded to the Election Commission for appropriate action.   

“The overall environment of the Parliamentary Election was peaceful and calm, reflecting a positive shift in election culture,” TISL said. “However, the decline in voter turnout to 69% underscores the need for greater public awareness about the importance of participating in elections and exercising the right to vote.”