evidence: A series of posts that went viral among Facebook users claimed that Ravi Karunanayake, former minister and national secretary of the United National Party, had stated he would become the Prime Minister if Ranil Wickremesinghe, the current president, wins the upcoming presidential election. This purported claim had been created as an image resembling a newspaper report. [...] Upon inquiry, Chanaka Siriwardana, Ravi Karunanayake’s media coordinator, also blatantly denied the viral posts. He clarified that even though Ravi Karunanayake has not made any such statement about becoming the Prime Minister if Ranil Wickremesinghe wins the presidential election. [...] The claim that Ravi Karunanayake stated that he would become the Prime Minister in the event of Ranil Wickremesinghe winning the upcoming presidential election is false.