copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Members of Parliament Failed to Declare Their Assets !! (Social Media Users, 2024-08-14)
Evidence (2024-07-17): In 2018, Parliament adopted the Assets Declaration Law, identifying 35 categories of public officials required to declare their assets upon being elected or appointed and upon leaving office. By law, the National Authority for the Combat Against Corruption (INLUCC) was then responsible for publishing the lists of assets of these individuals on its website. In addition, the law requires other individuals in specified professions that have a public role to declare their assets to the INLUCC, although this information is not made public. This provision applies to journalists, media figures, civil society leaders, political party leaders, and union officials. The law also enumerates a "gift" policy, defines measures to avoid conflicts of interest, and stipulates the sanctions that apply in cases of illicit enrichment. In 2019, Tunisia’s newly elected government officials declared their assets, including the 217 Members of Parliament. Article 20 of the 2022 constitution requires that the president, the prime minister, ministers, members of parliament, judges, and those in senior positions must declare their assets. With the closure of INLUCC’s headquarters in August 2021, the 2023 ARP members, Prime Minister Hachani, and new ministers did not declare their assets, and the government has yet to announce whether it will create an alternative anticorruption institution.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-07-31): The claim that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the upcoming presidential election under the "Heart" symbol is false. There is no evidence from the Election Commission's official gazette notification or previous elections to support this claim, and the Election Commission has confirmed that symbols are only assigned after the nomination process on August 15. This claim appears to be a rumour circulating on social media without any factual basis.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-04): Political parties that supported former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the recent Presidential election are gearing up to contest the upcoming General Election under the banner of the New Democratic Front (NDF), with the "Gas Cylinder" as their election symbol. [...] Wickremesinghe, who ran as an independent candidate in the Presidential election using the same symbol, will now lead his coalition into the General Election with this emblem, pending approval from the Election Commission. Former MPs who backed Wickremesinghe have signalled their readiness to run under either the "Gas Cylinder" or the "Elephant", or another common symbol, should the commission’s decision not favour their first choice. The final decision on the symbol and the structure of the alliance will be made after the Election Commission announces its stance. Former MPs and party members met at Wickremesinghe’s Election Operations office on Flower Road, Colombo, for the second consecutive day to finalise these details. The meeting, chaired by Wickremesinghe himself, brought together key alliance figures in preparation for the forthcoming polls.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-07-26): COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday declared his candidacy to contest the presidential election in September as an independent candidate by depositing money to contest the upcoming polls. [...] President's Counsel Ronald Perera placed a cash deposit on behalf of Wickremesinghe, 75, as an independent candidate for the presidential election, the state-run Daily News newspaper reported. The president will contest as an independent candidate, Perera told the media after placing the bonds on Wickremesinghe's behalf, the NewsFirst news portal reported.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-04-10): Colombo, Apr 10 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to contest the presidential election later this year under a new symbol, according to his top aide. Wickremesinghe, 75, will represent several parties as a national candidate, Senior Presidential Advisor and UNP senior leader Ashu Marasinghe told reporters on Tuesday. [...] "People such as Minister Prasanna Ranatunga have said many, including himself, have an issue supporting Wickremesinghe if he contests the Presidential election under the elephant symbol. Likewise, we in the UNP too have an issue with him contesting under the pohotuwa. Therefore, Wickremesinghe is expected to contest under a new symbol," Marasinghe was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-15): August 15, Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 Presidential Election, choosing to run under the Gas Cylinder symbol. The United National Party (UNP) leader opted to contest as an independent candidate, marking a strategic move amidst a crowded field of 39 contenders. [...] Wickremesinghe’s campaign is expected to focus on stability and continuity during a crucial period for the nation’s economic recovery.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-15): President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the 2024 Presidential Election under the Gas Cylinder symbol. The United National Party (UNP) Leader submitted his nomination as an independent candidate today. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is among 39 candidates eligible to contest the Presidential polls scheduled for September 21 this year. (Newswire)
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-05): Political parties are scurrying to find suitable candidates to contest in the 14 November parliamentary elections. The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) is keen to obtain a majority in the new Parliament even though their Presidential nominee and now President Anura Kumara Dissanayake obtained around 43% of the total votes in last month’s election. [...] Attempts to bring about an agreement between the SJB and the UNP-SLPP (breakaway group) before nominations for the general elections are finalised failed and hence Premadasa will be contesting with the SJB’s constituent partners including several parties that represent minorities. [...] The UNP-SLPP group have announced they will contest from the gas cylinder symbol under which the former president Ranil Wickremesinghe contested last month’s election while the SLPP (Namal Rajapaksa group) and the Mawbima Janatha Party (MJP) of businessman Dilith Jayaweera too have been strengthening his side with several former MPs joining the group. In the north and east, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) will be fighting to retain its role as the dominant force in these areas while several smaller parties too will vie for the seats there.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-08): The Election Commission has assigned the "Gas Cylinder" symbol to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is contesting this year’s presidential election as an independent candidate. President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed his nomination papers on Wednesday (14) at his political office in Flower Road, Colombo to contest the upcoming Presidential Election. [...] On July 26, President’s Counsel Ronald Perera had placed bonds on behalf of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to contest the forthcoming Presidential Election as an independent candidate.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-05): The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) faction led by Nimal Siripala de Silva has decided to contest the upcoming general election with the alliance formed under the "Gas Cylinder" symbol. [...] He said that there were no conditions laid out by his party in contesting the upcoming elections under the alliance. The SLFP faction led by de Silva extended their support to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the recent presidential election. (Newswire)
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-07): Political parties that backed former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the recent Presidential Election plan to contest the upcoming General Election under the New Democratic Front (NDF), with the ‘Gas Cylinder’ as their symbol. Wickremesinghe had also used the same symbol when he contested the presidential election as an independent candidate. Sources revealed that former MPs who supported Wickremesinghe are considering contesting under either the ‘elephant’ symbol or another common one if they are unable to secure the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol. The group met today (02) at Wickremesinghe's Election Operations office on Flower Road, Colombo, to finalize their decision.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-29): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has launched his election manifesto at an event held in Colombo today. The President’s election manifesto, titled ‘Five years of winning the country with Ranil’, is expected to be based on five key points. The President will contest the 2024 Presidential Election as an independent candidate under the gas cylinder symbol.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-29): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has outlined the priorities of a five-year plan in his election manifesto, titled ‘Five years of winning the country with Ranil’, which was launched today. [...] In his policy statement, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has outlined priorities such as easing the cost of living, creating jobs, offering tax relief, promoting economic growth, and implementing the Aswesuma and Urumaya programs. [...] President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s election manifesto: https://www.ranil2024.lk/manifesto (Newswire)
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-29): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has unveiled his election manifesto, "Five Years of Winning the Country with Ranil," as he prepares to contest the 2024 Presidential Election as an independent candidate. This detailed plan, represented by the gas cylinder symbol, highlights his vision for Sri Lanka over the next five years. The manifesto outlines his commitment to reducing the cost of living, creating jobs, cutting taxes, boosting the economy, and implementing key social programs like Aswesuma and Urumaya. The 2024 Presidential Election in Sri Lanka is gearing up to be a significant event, with various candidates vying for the highest office in the land. Among them is the incumbent President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has put forth an ambitious manifesto titled "Five Years of Winning the Country with Ranil." As an independent candidate, symbolized by the gas cylinder, Wickremesinghe has outlined a comprehensive five-year plan aimed at transforming Sri Lanka. His manifesto is centered around key priorities that address the immediate needs of the nation, such as reducing the cost of living, creating jobs, cutting taxes, and fostering economic growth. Additionally, it promises to deliver and expand vital social welfare programs like Aswesuma and Urumaya. [...] The gas cylinder symbol represents Ranil Wickremesinghe’s independent candidacy in the 2024 Presidential Election. It symbolizes his focus on addressing the everyday challenges faced by Sri Lankans, particularly in terms of household expenses and the cost of living.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-04): All political parties that supported United National Party Leader and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the recent Presidential Election, are to contest the upcoming General/Parliamentary Election under the New Democratic Front (NDF), with the ‘Gas Cylinder’ as their symbol. Wickremesinghe had also contested the recent Presidential Election under the symbol of the ‘gas cylinder’, albeit as an independent candidate. Political sources said on Wednesday (2) that former Parliamentarians who supported Wickremesinghe are preparing to contest the upcoming Election under either the ‘Elephant’ symbol or another common symbol if they were unable to obtain the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol. It was reported that the opinion of the Election Commission had been sought to obtain the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol and that a final decision was to be taken after the Commission’s decision was conveyed. The group of former MPs had gathered at the Election operations office of Wickremesinghe at Flower Road in Colombo on Wednesday, to reach the final decision regarding the symbol and the alliance that they will contest under in the upcoming election.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-28): Social Media Posts say President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the upcoming presidential election under the "Heart" symbol. [...] Context: Following the Election Commission's gazette notification on July 26, 2024, setting September 21 as the date for the presidential election in Sri Lanka, there has been a surge of social media posts claiming that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the election under the "Heart" symbol. This claim has gained significant traction, raising questions and confusion among the public. [...] The claim that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the upcoming presidential election under the "Heart" symbol is false. There is no evidence from the Election Commission's official gazette notification or previous elections to support this claim, and the Election Commission has confirmed that symbols are only assigned after the nomination process on August 15. This claim appears to be a rumour circulating on social media without any factual basis.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-09-20): The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over from Rajapaksa and has since tried to turn the economy around, is seeking re-election. He is being challenged by Anura Kumara Dissanayake from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party and Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party. [...] Ranil Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, assumed office as interim president in July 2022 following Rajapaksa’s removal. While the 75-year-old has been affiliated with the centre-right United National Party (UNP), he is running for the top job as an independent candidate. [...] A longtime rival of Wickremasinghe when they both belonged to the UNP, Premadasa also contested the 2019 presidential election, in which he lost to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-10-06): - ^ Husain, Jamila (8 April 2023). "Ranil to contest Presidential election, hints at poll early next year". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024. - ^ a b "Presidential Election: Bonds placed for Ranil to contest as independent candidate". Ada Derana. 26 July 2024. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024. - ^ a b "President Ranil Wickremesinghe officially announces candidacy for Sri Lankan presidency". Deccan Herald. PTI. 27 July 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2023-10-26): Although the Aragalaya demanded "system-wide changes" following the departure of the Rajapaksas, none have taken place since. This year’s local government elections were postponed indefinitely, against the ruling of the Electoral Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL), by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who said it was too risky to conduct polling during an economic crisis. Wickremesinghe, whom some observers suggested sought to call off the elections to prevent an embarrassing ruling-party loss, further cited the economic crisis in deliberately withholding funds approved by the parliament for staging the polls. Wickremesinghe has also deployed security forces and utilized repressive laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to violently break up demonstrations at which participants called for elections, and to arrest protest leaders. Currently, no elections are scheduled until the presidential poll in the latter half of 2024. By leaving citizens without an immediate avenue to express their preferences via elections, and facing increasing risks associated with protests, Sri Lanka’s embattled leaders are both shielding themselves from public scrutiny and sending the message that debt restructuring and the economy take priority over democratic processes.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-04-11): Internal sources within the government have revealed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe plans to depart from the United National Party’s traditional elephant logo and instead run with a common symbol in the upcoming presidential election. While Wickremesinghe previously contested presidential elections under a common logo, uniting various parties, he has opted to represent the United National Party with the elephant logo in the forthcoming general election. [...] Reports from government insiders indicate that several parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, have pledged their support to Ranil Wickremesinghe following the announcement of the national election.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2023-03-24): Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the president of Sri Lanka on the 21st of July, 2022. He has been the prime minister of Sri Lanka on six occasions. He is the leader of the United National Party, Sri Lanka's oldest political party, founded in 1946, and he has served in all parliaments since 1977. President Wickremesinghe was elected president by parliamentary vote after the people's movement, Aragalaya, or "struggle," toppled the serving president. Since taking office last year he has voiced his commitment to restoring economic and political stability to his country. [...] President Wickremesinghe: Not bad for a politician. [...] President Wickremesinghe: Give Sri Lanka a better future. That has been my aim. That is what I have worked for. That is what I have stood for, and lost elections because I spoke out openly. And that's what I will do. That the young people here will have a better future than us. And that's why we brought in the 25-year long-term vision.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-18): There has been much focus on President Wickremesinghe’s symbol as an independent candidate. The Wickremesinghe camp had worked to get the ‘heart’ symbol for him, with the media campaigners also making the necessary advertising material using the ‘heart’ symbol several weeks ago. The ‘heart’ symbol had been proposed by the youngest son of a leading political family in the country, it is learnt. [...] It is also learnt that Wickremesinghe had also expressed concerns over the ‘heart’ symbol to his campaign heads, saying it was quite generic and that his symbol should be a unique one that could capture the attention of the people.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-02): Is the president Ranil Wickramasinghe representing himself in the upcoming presidential election with the heart symbol? [...] Within the cyber space there were several news circulating about the president contesting for the election with the "heart" logo. Is this true? We asked factseeker about this. [...] Factseeker continued to dig more on the matter and contacted the Election Secretariat to see if a political party had been registered with the "Heart" logo. Election commissioner Saman Sri Rathnayake stated that there is no political party being represented with the "heart" logo. He further stated that last year there was an application to register a political party under the heart logo, however that application was rejected. He continued by explaining the "heart" logo is actually not a replica of the human heart but a symbol of love. By this we understand that although there is news claiming that the president applied for the presidential election through the heart logo, the information proves to be untrue. Factseeker confirms that no political party is being represented through the "heart" logo.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-09-18): The election is seen as a referendum on President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s two-year-long rule that has overseen a fragile recovery of the country’s economy. [...] Mr. Wickremesinghe, whose United National Party has been weakened by a split, is running as an independent candidate. Even though Mr. Wickremesinghe remains unpopular for carrying out austerity measures – including sharp tax hikes – in exchange for an International Monetary Fund bailout, he is hoping to gain votes from his success in largely abating the shortage of essentials such as fuel, cooking gas, medicines, and food. [...] Mr. Wickremesinghe’s other challenger is Sajith Premadasa, the incumbent president’s former deputy and leader of his breakaway party, United People’s Power. Mr. Premadasa promises to continue with the IMF program but with changes to lessen the burden on poor people.
Claim: Ranil Wickremesinghe Contest the Presidential Election Under the “Heart” Symbol !! (Social Media Users, 2024-07-31)
Evidence (2024-08-26): Ranil Wickremesinghe (1,500 comments) [...] Most used emojis: The red heart (❤️) emoji is predominantly used to express strong support, admiration, or affection for Ranil Wickremesinghe. It often appears at the end of comments praising his leadership or expressing hope for his success. For example, comments like "රනිල් තමයි එකම විසදුම ❤️" (Ranil is the only solution ❤️) or "ජනතාව ගැන සිතන එකම නායකයා රනිල්💪🖤" (Ranil is the only leader who thinks about the people 💪🖤) The heart emoji was also frequently used in combination with other emojis or text to amplify positive sentiments. For instance, "අනාගත බලාපොරොත්තුව RW 🌷🌷🌷" (Future hope is RW 🌷🌷🌷) Multiple heart emojis were used in succession to emphasise the strength of support/love/adulation/veneration, such as "Ape janapathi❤❤❤" (Our President ❤❤❤). While the red heart was the most common, other colour variations of the heart emoji (like 🖤 or 💚) were also used. The second most frequently used emoji was the thumbs up (👍), used to signify approval or agreement with RW’s decisions, beliefs, promises, actions or statements. Other common emojis included the Sri Lankan flag (🇱🇰), and the flexed bicep (💪), used to convey strength or power in the context of RW’s leadership.