Observers from the Commonwealth will monitor the forthcoming presidential elections in Sri Lanka.
The group of nine monitors, led by former president of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo, was formally invited by elections commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, and will observe both pre-election preparations and the electoral process itself.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma reiterated the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory, requesting a transparent, level playing field for the people to exercise their right to vote.
“Genuine democratic elections are an expression of sovereignty, which belongs to the people of a country, the free expression of whose will provides the basis for the authority and legitimacy of government,” he said.
“Sri Lanka has among the oldest democratic traditions in the Commonwealth. The people of Sri Lanka should be able to freely exercise their franchise, in an enabling environment marked by transparency, a level playing field, and adherence to the laws and norms that govern a credible and peaceful election. For this, key stakeholders must play their due roles.”
The observers will be in the country from January 2 till January 14. See Commonwealth press release here.