Commonwealth election observers in Sri Lanka issue arriva statement
“Sri Lanka is well placed to hold a democratic election that enjoys the confidence of the people.” - Former President of Malta H.E. Dr George Abela
At the invitation of the Office of the Commissioner of Elections of Sri Lanka, a team of Commonwealth election observers arrived in Colombo ahead of the Parliamentary Elections scheduled for 17 August 2015.
The independent Commonwealth Observer Group, which was constituted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, is chaired by former President of Malta H.E. Dr George Abela.
Addressing a press conference on 12 August in Colombo, Dr Abela issued the following statement:
As Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Sri Lanka’s 2015 Parliamentary Elections, it is my privilege to lead a group of eminent persons drawn from across the Commonwealth, a community of 53 countries including Sri Lanka.
Our nine-member group includes former election commissioners, members of parliament as well as representatives of civil society, academia and the media. The Commonwealth Observer Group is supported by a team from the Commonwealth Secretariat, led by Mr Martin Kasirye, Head of Electoral Support.
Two advance observers arrived earlier this month to observe the pre-election campaign environment. The remainder of the group, including myself, arrived in Colombo on Monday.
We are grateful to the Commissioner of Elections for inviting us to Sri Lanka and to Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma for constituting this election observation mission.
Sri Lanka is a founding member of the modern Commonwealth and has a longstanding history of conducting elections, the most recent of which - January’s Presidential Election – was also observed by a Commonwealth Observer Group.
As independent observers, our mandate is to assess the pre-election period, activities on polling day and the post-election period. Throughout, we will consider whether there has been a level playing field for the contesting parties, whether voters were free to express their will, and whether the election can be said to have been credible, transparent and peaceful.
We will assess whether the elections were conducted in accordance with the standards to which Sri Lanka has committed itself, including the Constitution and relevant national laws, as well as international commitments including Commonwealth principles.
Our role is not to supervise the election but to observe the process as a whole and to form our own judgment. We act in our individual capacities; we do not represent the views of any member government or organisation.
Since arriving, we have met with the Commissioner of Elections and representatives of political parties and civil society. We will continue to meet with representatives of the media, local observer groups, the police and international partners including Commonwealth High Commissions in Colombo.
It is heartening to note that there appears to be confidence in the Commissioner’s Office to manage the electoral process and that, on the whole, the campaign environment is generally conducive for a democratic election.
Our two advance observers have already had the opportunity to witness campaign activities outside of Colombo. Later this week, the team will be deployed to five of the country’s nine provinces: Central Province, Northern Province, North Central Province, North Western Province and Western Province.
We will observe the final hours of the campaign, the 48 hours before polling day and then voting, counting and results processes. Shortly after election day, we will issue an Interim Statement in which we will outline our preliminary observations.
A Final Report will be completed before we depart which will be sent to the Commonwealth Secretary-General and then to the Government of Sri Lanka, the Office of the Commissioner of Elections, political parties, and all Commonwealth governments, before being released publicly.
In making our observations known, our intent is to offer constructive support to further strengthen the electoral process. Where necessary, we will make recommendations to relevant authorities concerning institutional, procedural and other matters as would assist the holding of such elections in the future.
Sri Lanka is well placed to hold a democratic election that enjoys the confidence of the people. As polling day approaches, we wish the electorate well and would like to encourage all eligible voters to exercise their franchise.
Media Contact:
Will Henley
Communications Officer Commonwealth Observer Group
Mobile: +94 (0) 766 030 193
Email: [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
Photos of the Chairperson and observers are available on request.
Composition of the Group:
- HE Dr George Abela, Former President, Malta
- Mr Paul Dacey, Former Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Australia
- Mr Navin Chawla, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
- Professor Lawrence Gumbe, Former Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Centre for Multiparty Democracy, Kenya
- Professor Aishah Bidin, Commissioner, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and Law Professor, Malaysia
- Mr Zikirullahi Ibrahim, Chairman, Transition Monitoring Group, Nigeria
- Ms Bushra Gohar, Former Member of Parliament of Pakistan, Pakistan
- Ms Adelle Roopchand, Communications, Media and Public Relations Specialist, Trinidad and Tobago
- Ms Linda Duffield, Former Diplomat, United Kingdom