Election result only credible if citizens can vote without fear: EU
Saturday, 3 January 2015 03:24
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Govt. faults EU, says elections are “strictly domestic” issue
The European Union has called for a peaceful presidential election next week.
In a joint statement issued yesterday, the EU delegation in Sri Lanka said the result of the 8 January presidential election would only be credible only if citizens are free to choose their leaders without violence or fear.
The EU statement comes after Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe sounded the alarm about an attempt to use the military to obstruct voting on polling day and polls monitors pointed to high levels of violence and intimidation of activists and opposition representatives in this election season.
“European Union Heads of Mission in Colombo note the importance of Sri Lanka’s presidential election process being peaceful, credible and transparent. Heads of Mission recall the EU’s longstanding conviction that a peaceful environment is essential for credible elections. Sri Lankan citizens must be free to choose their leaders without violence or fear. All parties have a role in upholding Sri Lanka’s strong democratic tradition,” the EU statement said.
The External Affairs Ministry in Colombo has reacted to the statement by the EU delegation. In a counter press release issued last evening, the ministry said it was “surprised” the EU heads of mission in Colombo resorted to a press statement on the issue of what it called “strictly domestic nature”.
“Domestic elections are not for foreign government representatives to be prescriptive about, that too, a few days ahead of the polls,” the ministry statement charged.
The MEA said Sri Lanka has a vibrant tradition of democratic practice since 1931 and has been conducting elections at regular intervals, in a peaceful and orderly manner, while the electorate has continued to cast their vote freely, in large numbers. (DB)
