COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's election chief says he has asked for an explanation from the defense ministry on why the army commander features in an advertisement promoting a candidate for next month's presidential election.

The advertisement, which appeared in a newspaper last weekend, had comments made by Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, the current army chief, in 2009 praising presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa for his role in ending the country's long civil war. Rajapaksa was defense chief at the time, serving under his brother, then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Silva was an army division commander in 2009.

Election chief Mahinda Deshapriya criticized the advertisement Wednesday and said he has sought an explanation from the secretary to the defense ministry on why the army chief was being used to promote a presidential candidate.