ECONOMYNEXT — The European Union has observed a departure from the usual divisive rhetoric along communal lines with a notable shift of focus on the economy this presidential election, an EU election monitoring mission deployed in Colombo said.
Chief Observer Nacho Sánchez Amor a Member of the European Parliament made this observation speaking at a press conference on Friday August 30 where he announced that the EU has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for Sri Lanka’s September 21 presidential election with a core team of 10 election experts and 26 long-term observers.
The offical said the EOM commenced its activities on August 14 with the arrival of the core team, while on August 29 the mission caled up with the deployment of 26 long-term observers to all nine provinces of the island.
“The European Union deploys less than ten election observation missions per year, with each one of them being a clear testament to the importance we attach to the engagement with the country. By sending an election observation mission to Sri Lanka, the European Union is confirming the depth and fruitfulness of our partnership and unwavering support to democratic values,” said Amor.
The EU said in a statement that the EOM will observe and analyse various aspects of the electoral process such as the work of the election administration, the legal framework, the conduct of campaign, the work of media and the role of social media networks in the electoral process, as well as th eoverall space for political and civic participation. The EOM, the EU said, is assessing the extent to which elections are conducted in compliance with national law, as well as with regional and international standards Sri Lanka has signed up to. This is the seventh EU EOM deployed to Sri Lanka since 2000.
“This election is crucial to fortify democratic institutions through the ballot box. Hence it will be important that the election is conducted peacefully, in a transparent and inclusive manner and that all voters and candidates retain confidence ni the process and the outcome,” said Amor. (Colombo/Aug30/2024)