Respect law and order for peaceful election: Kamalesh Sharma

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma today called for a level playing field during the Presidential election in Sri Lanka, and adherence to the laws and norms that govern a credible and peaceful election.

Sharma said that Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, former President of Guyana, will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to Sri Lanka, which follows a formal invitation from Sri Lanka’s Commissioner of Elections, Mahinda Deshapriya. Sharma reiterated the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory. He said that genuine democratic elections are an expression of sovereignty, which belongs to the people of a country, the free expression of whose will provide the basis for the authority and legitimacy of government. “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,” he said. The Commonwealth Group will consider the pre-electoral environment and preparations. On election day and thereafter, members will observe the voting process, counting and tabulation procedures and the announcement of results. The Group will act impartially and make an independent assessment of the electoral process. It will conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation to which Sri Lanka has committed itself. Upon completion of its assignment, the Group will submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of Sri Lanka, the Commissioner of Elections and the principal political parties, before making it available to all Commonwealth Governments, and eventually releasing it into the public domain.