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| Sunday, 29 February 2004 |
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Politics |  |
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National Workers Congress to join PAFFREL to monitor elections General Elections have been declared at a time when society was engaged in nation re-building. Once again, nearly 1 million Sri Lankan migrants working abroad,who generate the highest foreign exchange earnings, are still unable to exercise a basic fundamental right - to vote at elections. Despite Sri Lanka ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrants and Members of their Families in 1996 and representations by the National Workers Congress to the Human Rights Commission and Commissioner of Elections, the necessary amendments to the laws of our country have still not been introduced. The National Workers Congress and its social arm, the Migrant Services Centre, will join the PAFFREL umbrella group and participate in the monitoring of the General Elections by mobilising a large section of its Union and returned migrant networks throughout the country. This is the first time that independent monitors have received permission from the Elections Commissioner to station monitors within the polling booths and PAFFREL has been accredited this. We jointly call upon all political parties to: .Observe a Free and Fair Election .Ensure that the voting rights of migrant workers are respected .Take up the issue of granting migrant workers voting rights in their policy manifesto. We also encourage and urge the people of Sri lanka to do their civic duty by exercising their franchise and assisting the independent election monitors and Elections Department officials in their tasks. |
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