Two international bodies to monitor poll

by Manjula FERNANDO

Two international bodies, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Association of Asian Election Monitors have responded positively to Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake’s invitation to observe the January 26 presidential poll.

The Officer in Charge of International observers at the Elections Secretariat said they have invited a total of four international organizations including the United Nations and the European Union to monitor the forthcoming Presidential election.

“The Asian body and the Commonwealth Secretariat have agreed in principle to monitor the election but the details of their contingents will be communicated later,” he said. The EU and the UN are yet to communicate their official response to the Commissioner. This action to invite international polls observers, ensued requests from contesting political parties for independent foreign observers in addition to the domestic election monitors to ensure a free and fair poll.

The PAFFREL and the CMEV have been appointed as the official domestic polls observers by the Elections Secretariat. The two organizations will be allowed to employ as many field monitors as possible and there is no limit on this.

“We welcome as many as possible,” the Elections Official said.

During the last presidential election in 2005, the Commonwealth Secretariat sent down a team of about 15 monitors and the Association of Asian monitors deployed a team of 30.

The EU deployed the biggest contingent with 66 polls observers at the 2005 November 17 election. Their team comprised 22 long term observers who arrived in the country about a month ahead and 44 short term observers for duty on election day. The core team included a Deputy Chief Observer, a legal/electoral expert, operations expert and a security expert.

It is reported the EU is to decline the invitation this time due to the short notice given. In 2005, the invitations for the international polls monitors were sent in early September.