Sri Lanka’s election commission bans opinion polling during parliamentary election

COLOMBO, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka’s Election Commission said on Thursday that it has banned opinion polls during the parliamentary election period.
Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said in a press briefing that the decision was made to prevent the manipulation of public opinion in the lead-up to the election scheduled for Nov. 14.
He noted that many of the opinion polls conducted during the Sept. 21 presidential election were not scientifically sound.
Additionally, Ratnayake said that the commission has set the upper limits for campaign expenses for candidates in the upcoming parliamentary election.
The parliamentary election is set for Nov. 14, with the newly elected parliament scheduled to convene on Nov. 21. ■