The European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) that was in the country to monitor the Sri Lanka parliamentary elections held on August 17 said the election was well-administered and genuine although the campaigning was restricted with excessive rules. “The 17 August Parliamentary Elections in Sri Lanka were well-administered and offered voters a genuine choice from among a broad range of political alternatives, although campaign rules were restrictive,” Chief Observer of the EUEOM) Cristian Preda said during the presentation of the preliminary report at a press conference in Colombo today.
The mission stated that freedoms of assembly and movement were respected, and despite the restrictive campaign rules – not allowing candidates to engage in door-to-door campaigning, to canvass in person or distribute leaflets – party activists and candidates campaigned vigorously, focusing on small meetings with voters.
The statement also underlines that the Commissioner of Elections and his staff administered the elections in a transparent and impartial manner, demonstrated strong leadership, and enjoyed the confidence of all stakeholders.
Full Article: Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka parliamentary elections genuine, \’well administered\’ – European election monitors.