August 28, Colombo (LNW): A delegation of election observers from the European Union (EU), led by Head of the EU Election Observer Team Jose Ignacio Sanchez Amor and EU Ambassador Carmen Morena, met with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at Temple Trees on August 27. The meeting focused on the EU’s election monitoring efforts for the upcoming Presidential Election in Sri Lanka.
Jose Ignacio Sanchez Amor expressed gratitude to the Sri Lankan government for its support in facilitating the EU’s monitoring mission. He emphasized the significance of the upcoming election in reinforcing democracy in Sri Lanka, particularly following the political and economic crisis of 2022. “This election is important for Sri Lanka to continue making progress on its path of reforms and lasting recovery, in full respect of democratic values,” he stated.
Prime Minister Gunawardena reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections, highlighting the independence of the Election Commission in making all decisions related to the electoral process. He assured that the government has fulfilled its budgetary responsibilities, leaving the execution of the election to the Commission.
Ambassador Carmen Morena noted that the EU’s deployment of an Election Observation Mission in Sri Lanka this year underscores its long-standing commitment to supporting credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections in the country. The EU has previously conducted six election monitoring missions in Sri Lanka, with the last one being for the 2019 Presidential Election.
The EU delegation will deploy 26 observers across Sri Lanka to monitor the election campaign, and will issue an interim report immediately after the election, followed by a comprehensive final report. The meeting also touched on Sri Lanka’s economic situation, with Prime Minister Gunawardena drawing comparisons to the experiences of Spain, Greece, and other European nations during their economic crises.
The delegation from the EU included Deputy Chief Observer Inta Lase, Political Analyst Ralph-Michael Peters, and Press Officer Marek Mracka. The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister’s Secretary Anura Dissanayake, Additional Secretary Mahinda Gunaratne, Advisor Sugeeswara Senadhira, and Coordinating Secretary Kalana Gamage.
