Int'l monitors expect peaceful election

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

International polls monitors are hopeful that the Parliamentary polls on April 8 would be a zero-violence election.

Executive Director of Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), Somsri Han-Anuntasuk told the Sunday Observer that they hope that Sri Lankans, who are now more interested in development, peace and reconciliation among communities after ending the decade-long war, would not resort to violence to select their representatives for the next Parliament.

She predicted a high voter turn-out at the forthcoming elections as Sri Lankan voters were more keen in contributing at elections.

"Compared to other Asian countries, Sri Lankans are more interested in casting their votes. The voter turn-out is over 70 percent in Sri Lanka and this is a good sign for free and fair elections", Han-Anuntasuk, who has visited Sri Lanka four times as an international observer, said.

Sixteen international elections observers representing Asian countries including Thailand, India, Japan and Malaysia, who arrived in the country on the invitation of the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), have already commenced their observations. The international observers, formed into eight groups, will monitor elections in eight districts including Jaffna, Batticaloa, Galle, Colombo and Badulla.

She said they are yet to get an appointment with the officials of the Elections Commissioner's Department to discuss issues.

Han-Anuntasuk said that allowing the media and the public to be present at counting centres was vital to maintain transparency. "In countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, the public and media are allowed to observe the vote counting process", she said.

The ANFREL chief said the international monitors would report all forms of violence including physical and mental violence. They will also take verbal violence like threatening and verbal abuse into consideration.

"According to records, intra-party violence has gone up in Sri Lanka due to the preferential voting system", she said.