US envoy and the Sri Lanka polity

Last week’s meeting between members of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka and US Ambassador Julie Chung raised quite a few eyebrows, not so much for the meeting but for her post on X (formerly Twitter) after it.  

Ambassador Chung wrote she appreciated the opportunity to meet the officers “to hear about plans for elections and upholding a transparent process” and also “exchanged views on the importance of voting in free and fair elections as a pillar of democratic governance.”

The condescending remarks were in contrast to the words of the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom who met with EC in April and made it public that his meeting was to “hear of the commission’s preparation during an election year.”

National elections in Sri Lanka, for that matter in any country, draws attention internationally. There is a lot of manoeuvring that goes on behind the scenes to ensure a favourable outcome for those whose election would favour certain blocs. The foreign envoys lining up to meet with leaders of different political parties in recent months make it clear that they are under instructions to have a foothold on all sides given the uncertainty of the election outcome.

It is no secret that a number of international players and particularly the US were deeply involved in the lead up to the 2015 presidential elections. It has been alleged that the then US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Michele J. Sison (14 September 2012 – 6 December 2014) went over and above her role as a diplomat in the lead up to that election which saw the ouster of Mahinda Rajapaksa from the presidency and brought in Maithripala Sirisena. The rest, as they say, is history.

The current Ambassador, Julie Chung has drawn her fair share of criticism and has, on many occasions, gone public on matters that diplomatic niceties dictate be discussed with the host Government behind closed doors.

On 18 May when the anniversary of the end of military operations by the armed forces against the LTTE was marked, Ambassador Chung lined up several meetings in the North and certainly it was no coincidence. Usually this would have ruffled quite a few feathers at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Colombo but this and other such instances have been accepted mutely by those in power.

Sri Lankans understand the importance of free and fair elections and have fiercely protected their right to vote for over a century. Sri Lankan people have braved bullets and death threats to exercise their right to franchise and elections have been held under the most trying circumstances that holding elections today is a breeze compared to a couple of decades ago.

The EC is an independent body and has already announced the timeline for the presidential election which falls between September and October this year. Political parties too are gearing themselves for the polls and much of the campaigning is already underway. It is in the midst of this that the US Ambassador has taken it upon herself to preach on the importance of a “transparent process” and “free and fair elections” which Sri Lankans are already aware are essential for democracy in the country.

Diplomatic relations between countries are based on mutual respect and cooperation but smaller countries that are dependent on bigger, more affluent nations are often at the receiving end of unsolicited advice on how they should run their affairs. Well-meaning advice is certainly welcome but being condescending isn’t welcome.