The Chief of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), Nacho Sánchez Amor commended Sri Lanka’s commitment to democracy as the mission published its final report on the 2024 Presidential Election.
At a media conference in Colombo on Friday (17), Amor lauded the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) for working independently and transparently, and highlighted positive developments such as accountability in campaign financing and enthusiasm shown by youth voters. “It was especially interesting to see the rising vote for women candidates despite their disproportionate representation in parties. This shows a progressive development in citizens in contrast to the political establishment,” he said.
The mission offered 16 recommendations to strengthen and refine upcoming elections including affirmative action for women, expanding the use of special voting arrangements, laws against misuse of state resources for campaigns, transforming the State media for genuine public service, and amending the Right to Information Act to introduce pro-active disclosure of information.
Although campaign spending limits were introduced in the recent election, the report identified that transparency remains low. The Regulation of Election Expenditure Act 2023 imposes limits on expenditure, but there is no obligation to disclose campaign donations before polling day, nor is there any limit on donation, the report stated.
“The law does not provide for the ECSL to act as an oversight body, as it lacks powers to scrutinise expenditure reports or to initiate prosecutions for breaches of law. The Act requires that the ECSL receives reports from candidates and makes these accessible to the public, which was done promptly. The ECSL published all documents submitted by candidates on its website. Failure by candidates to submit reports, or falsification of their reports, amounts to an offence of an illegal practice under electoral law.”
The report also identified that the participation of Generation Z shaped the 2024 Presidential election narrative to a certain degree. “There was youth activism on social media, participation in youth-driven organisations and in citizen election observation. The young generation also becomes more engaged with political party youth wings. Major advocates of a systematic change, they focused on economic growth and opportunities, environmental sustainability, and called for greater accountability in governance.
To read full report in English: www.eeas.europa.eu/eom-sri-lanka-2024/european-union-election-observation-mission-presents-its-final-report-16-recommendations-enhance-sri_en
