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No photos and videos of polling, EC takes strict stance on violations
View(s):By Ishu Bandara
R M A L Rathnayake Pix by Akila Jayawardena
The Election Commission has said no one is allowed to take photographs or carry a camera into polling or counting stations, unless special permission is obtained.
Special permission will be granted to candidates casting their votes, allowing them to take photos after obtaining a permission letter from the relevant district election office.
Though permission will be granted to take such photos and videos, these or any related information cannot be published by the media until voting ends at 4 pm on Saturday.
Individuals are forbidden from posting their voting activity on any media, which may lead to legal action and arrest.
Majula Gajanayake
Issuing unofficial results to the public by the media before the official results are released by the Election Commission will be at the responsibility of media organisations, and the Election Commission will not be held accountable for it.
The ‘silent period’ of the election starts 48 hours before the voting date and lasts until the results are announced. The Election Commission is particularly concerned about this period, its Chairman R M A L Rathnayake said during a meeting organised by the Sri Lanka Press Association (SLPA) on September 12. During this time, no propaganda activity or advertising promoting or demoting any political party or candidate shall be carried out. However, footage of public meetings held for the promotion of political parties or candidates on the day before the start of the silent period may be aired once on radio and television during news bulletins on the following day, provided that all parties or candidates receive equal airtime.
Similarly, reports on final-day meetings may be published in newspapers the following day, ensuring no party or candidate is given preferential treatment, added Mr Rathnayake.
Charuka Damunupola
“As voters, we must respect the community guidelines of Meta and the administrative procedures of TikTok and other social media platforms. Beyond the law, as citizens, we need to consider the code of ethics issued for candidates and the media guidelines from the Election Commission,” Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), told the Sunday Times.
“Most social media platforms have implemented certain measures during the election period. There is transparency in all social media ad campaigns. Facebook [Meta], has implemented these measures for countries holding elections, including additional content removal and reporting mechanisms to prevent misinformation and disinformation,” Charuka Damunupola, a Senior Information Security Engineer at Sri Lanka CERT, told the Sunday Times.
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