The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has deployed 26 long-term observers across Sri Lanka by Thursday and will be further increasing their presence closer to the elections.
Thirty-two short-term observers will be recruited from the EU diplomatic community and other partner countries.
These short-term observers will monitor key activities such as the opening of polling stations, the voting process, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results around election day. The EU EOM Chief Observer and other officials addressed a news conference on Friday. EU EOM Press and Public Outreach Officer Marek Mracka introduced Chief Observer Nacho Sanchez Amor, a member of the European Parliament from Spain. He is visiting Sri Lanka for the first time.
According to the Chief Observer, around 80 EU team members will be part of the mission, remaining in Sri Lanka until the first week of October. The EU EOM consists of 10 election experts who arrived in Colombo on August 14.
Mr. Amor said their main objectives were to support the democratic process, enhance public confidence in the electoral system, and strengthen respect for human rights and the rule of law in Sri Lanka
He emphasised that the observation mission would assess all aspects and stages of the electoral process, including the legal framework and its implementation, the performance of election administration, the role of state institutions, the voter registration process, campaign activities, and campaign finance, and the overall space for political and civic participation.
The EU EOM mission plans to issue a preliminary statement and hold a news conference in Colombo two days after the elections. A final report, which includes a set of recommendations for the future electoral process, will be presented and shared with stakeholders.
The European Union typically deploys eight to ten election observation missions each year worldwide. This is the seventh time the European Union Election Observation team has visited Sri Lanka for election observation, following an invitation by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. Their first visit was in 2000, and the most recent was in 2019.
“By sending an election observation mission to Sri Lanka, the European Union is reaffirming the depth and fruitfulness of our partnership and our unwavering support for democratic values,” said Chief Observer Amor.
Source: Sunday Times
