Fewer than 1,000 candidates are actively campaigning, indicating a significant drop in political activity, according to Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), despite 8,888 candidates vying for position in this year’s General Election.
Hettiarachchi ascribed this development to a rising disillusionment of traditional party structures and shifting public perception on the benefits of political involvement.
“PAFFREL – Declined political engagement and low campaign turnout for the general election”
Additionally, he noted that while roughly 600,000 regional party offices could technically be created to serve the electorate, only 9,291 of them are in operation at the moment, which is consistent with the low campaign turnout.
The Executive Director of PAFFREL added that although reports highlight instances of public property violations and misuse of public resources, they have not escalated to critical levels.
According to Hettiarachchi, there have been 25 recorded incidents of violence so far, but none of them have progressed to a severe crisis.
In keeping with the changing landscape, he pointed out that many regional representatives of political parties are displaying signs of inactivity. He added that a major contributing element to this disengagement is the public’s realisation that the advantages that were formerly linked to political loyalty would not be as accessible today.
