Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has deployed approximately 160 election observers across all districts to monitor the misuse of public resources during the General Election 2024.
Since 14 October, TISL has received 70 complaints, many of which are related to new appointments made in public institutions.
“We have received information about a contesting candidate being appointed to a public service position. A formal complaint was lodged with the Election Commission regarding this. We are closely monitoring the new ruling party for any misuse of public resources during its election campaign. Several new governors, ministry secretaries, and chairpersons have been appointed by the interim government, and some may have political affiliations. We remind them to respect election laws, especially as stewards of public property. In the previous election, we saw significant misuse of power and public vehicles by governors for political purposes,” said Thushanie Kandilpana, National Coordinator of the Programme for the Protection of Public Resources (PPPR) at TISL.
Kandilpana was speaking at a media conference held yesterday (23) at TISL’s premises in Nawala. She noted that during the previous Presidential Election, TISL received 117 complaints involving public officials, and the Election Commission subsequently removed over 40 of them from election duties.
TISL received more than 1,000 complaints of public resource misuse in the last election, and investigations into several of these cases are ongoing. “For example, Lanka Mineral Sands Ltd. hired 47 individuals during the Presidential Election period, exceeding the necessary cadre. We are currently following up on this complaint with the Ministry of Industries, and we will not hesitate to initiate legal action if it is not properly addressed,” Kandilpana added.
Gowriswaran Kirupairajah, Senior Programme Manager at TISL, urged citizens to report any misuse of public resources during the election with evidence. Complaints can be submitted via the website www.apesalli.lk, through the hotline at 076 322 3442 (WhatsApp available), or by fax at 011 286 5777. Verified complaints will be forwarded to the Election Commission for further action.
Shaveendra Senarath, Programme Manager for the Political Sector at TISL, also spoke at the media conference. He announced that, in collaboration with other election monitoring organizations, TISL will monitor campaign finance for the General Election and make the information publicly available through chandasallimeetare.lk.
