Asian election monitors arrive

Observers would be deployed in all districts to monitor the Presidential Election, said Head of Observers’ Mission of the Association of Asian Election Authorities Dr Pan Wei Ta of Taiwan. Forty observers, including Afghan Vice President General Ayub Assil and several Election Commissioners from 13 countries would monitor the Presidential Elections from 7 am to 4 pm on January 26.

Speaking at a press conference in Colombo Dr Pan Wei Ta said that all observers would leave for various districts today.

He said that they would summon another press conference on January 28 and submit a report on their observations.

AAEA Consultant Wong Chieu, said that they did not observe any violence personally.

They were in Colombo at the invitation of Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, she added.

Elections Commissioner of Pakistan’s Sindh Province Sono Kahan Baloch said conducting the elections was the responsibility of the Elections Commissioner. The observers are here to see what is happening at the polling stations and it is not their responsibility to manage elections.

The observers added that they would meet Returning Officers on Monday and decide which polling stations they would visit to see the arrangements made.

Chief Electoral Officer of India’s Arunachal Pradesh Yeshi Tsering said that they would visit many polling stations as possible as they could, depending on the local conditions.

They said that they would not meet the Elections Commissioner before submitting their report and see that the election is being conducted in accordance with Sri Lankan laws. Answering a question, the Bangladesh Election Commissioner Mohammed Sohul Hussiain said the 2008 Parliamentary Elections were free and fair.