"Anura brother (elder sibling), making a system change," reads a Sinhala-language Facebook post shared on April 27, 2026, referring to Dissanayake.
The post includes an image that appears to show a news graphic bearing the logos of local outlets including the state-run ITN News, ITN Sri Lanka, and television and mobile service providers Peo TV and Dialog with text that reads: "There is an application form for permission to have a romantic relationship" (archived here, here, here and here).
It also shows a picture of former police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa and what appears to be a government form (archived here and here).
Leftist leader Dissanayake pledged to change what he called the island's corrupt political nature, with his National People's Power coalition promising a "system change" (archived here and here).
But critics said he has failed to deliver even after nearly two years in power (archived here and here).
Comments show some users appear to believe the graphic shows a genuine announcement.
"These are very cheap initiatives. You need to know how to behave. Then those so-called powerful men take women to five-star hotels, do they also need to apply for these approvals?" one user wrote.
"Why do we need to take approval from these scoundrels. This is a democratic country. They also live off on our tax money," another wrote.
The claim -- shared by a user who also previously posted misinformation that was fact-checked by AFP -- also spread on Facebook, Instagram and...
"Anura brother (elder sibling), making a system change," reads a Sinhala-language Facebook post shared on April 27, 2026, referring to Dissanayake. The post includes an image that appears to show ...