News Today: PAFFREL accuses Prime Minister of violating election laws 2025

Sri Lanka’s leading election monitoring organization, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), has officially lodged a complaint with the Election Commission regarding an alleged violation of election laws by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.

According to PAFFREL, the Prime Minister urged her political supporters to continue campaigning even during the silent period—a legally mandated time during which all forms of political canvassing must cease. The silent period began on May 3rd, 2025, ahead of the country’s Local Government Elections.

In a formal letter addressed to Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hetiarachchi stated:

“We have monitored that Prime Minister Amarasuriya has made a remark which could be seen as encouraging her supporters to engage in campaigning even after the silent period from May 3rd, 2025. The Premier’s remark is an act of encouraging her supporters to violate electoral law while she has neglected the law herself.”

This complaint has sparked intense political debate and raised questions about the accountability of top leaders during the electoral process. PAFFREL’s request to the Election Commission calls for a transparent inquiry into whether the Prime Minister’s comments amounted to an endorsement of unlawful electioneering.

The 2025 Local Government Elections are already being closely monitored due to their scale and significance, and any suggestion of legal violations at the highest level of government could impact public trust in the democratic process.