EU EOM to meet voters, election officials, politicians, civil society
The EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Sri Lanka’s presidential election deployed 26 long-term observers (LTOs) to all nine provinces.
“The long-term observers are a vital element of our mission. Their observations and insights will form the foundation of our impartial and fact-based evaluation of the electoral process,” said the Chief Observer, Mr. Nacho Sanchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament.
The EU will employ its robust and well-established methodology of long-term, nationwide observation, providing a balanced and thorough analysis of the electoral process.
Observers have been deployed in two-man multinational teams to all nine provinces of Sri Lanka, where they will meet voters, election officials, politicians, and civil society not only in cities but also in small towns and villages.
Long-term observers will closely follow critical aspects of the election at the regional level.
Those include the work of local election administration, preparations for election day, campaign activities, and activities by civil society organizations and media in relation to the election.
Their observation will support the analysis of the core team experts of EU EOM based in Colombo.
The observers are drawn from EU Member States, Norway, and Switzerland and have received extensive briefings on election administration, the political environment, the legal framework, and the media and social landscapes in Sri Lanka prior to deployment.
This mission was deployed following an invitation from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.
The EU EOM is led by Chief Observer Mr. Nacho Sanchez Amor, who will officially launch the mission at the press conference in Colombo.
As election day approaches, the mission will be further strengthened by 32 short-term observers and observers from the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States, Norway, and Switzerland.
All of whom will observe the voting, counting, and tabulation of results.
The EU EOM will present its preliminary findings in a statement at a press conference two days after election day.
After the entire election process has been completed, a final report offering recommendations for future electoral processes will be published and presented to the authorities.
The EU EOM is bound by a code of conduct, which requires strict neutrality and non-interference.
It undertakes its work in accordance with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which was endorsed under UN auspices.