evidence: • The highest-profile candidates were Sajith Premadasa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who both attracted large crowds at rallies. They made extensive use of traditional media, with a heavy presence in paid advertising in television and the print media. Their campaigns used cross-platform electioneering tactics online, with official promotion pages adjoining third-party sites that frequently served to discredit the rival. The volume of hostile commentary was higher on SLPPleaning sites. There was a significant gap in resources between the two main candidates and the others. The campaign on the ground and online of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party of Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was less prominent. The remaining contestants were scarcely visible. [...] Of a record 35 contenders, the most prominent were Sajith Premadasa of the New Democratic Front (NDF) and Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). A third high-profile candidate was Anura Kumara Dissanayaka of the National People’s Power and leader of the Janatha [...] The decision was retracted the next day due to complaints. 60 The state-run Election FM aired discussions featuring 30 candidates. 61 On 5 October, several CSOs organised a public debate in an indoor stadium for an audience of some 4,000 people and featuring nine candidates. Only Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not accept the invitation. 62 State-owned television channels ITN, Rupavahini in Sinhalese, private channels Derana, Hiru, Sirasa, Swarnavahini in Sinhalese, Shakthi in Tamil language; radio stations Derana FM, Sirasa FM, Neth FM in Sinhalese; newspapers Lankadeepa,