The Election Commission has been urged to act quickly by the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) to stop the dissemination of phony postal voting results that are making the rounds on social media. These misleading reports, which include a fake poll wrongly credited to the European Union (EU), state that the National People’s Power (NPP) is in the lead, followed by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
PAFFREL stressed in a letter to the Election Commission that authorities—such as the police and Facebook’s cybercrime unit—must find and punish the people behind the misinformation. The group issued a warning, saying that false news of this nature could sway public opinion.
PAFFREL also demanded that representatives of the Presidential Media Division, such as Sandun Arosha Fernando and Indika Pushpakumara, take a strong stance against disinformation. The group warned voters to evaluate the material they come across carefully during this key election season, highlighting the threat posed by AI-generated phony news.