Former Minister and current presidential candidate, Mr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, recently revealed that private manpower organizations are being utilized to supply crowds for presidential election rallies. According to his statement, these organizations provide attendees for political events across all parties, but at a cost.
Rajapaksa disclosed that these manpower agencies charge based on the time each person spends at the rally. A full attendance from the beginning to the end of the event costs 3,000 rupees per person, while a shorter presence is charged at 1,500 rupees.
This practice, while not new, raises questions about the authenticity of rally turnouts, with the upcoming elections intensifying competition among political contenders. Rajapaksa’s comments shine a spotlight on the growing commercialization of public attendance at political events in Sri Lanka.
