AHEAD of Sri Lanka’s 2015 elections on Thursday, Chairman of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, on Sunday, urged the country’s people to do their part to ensure that the process is free and fair. 

“On behalf of the Commonwealth Observer Group, I wish the people of Sri Lanka well as they embark upon this election. We encourage all Sri Lankans to do their part to ensure that a peaceful and credible process takes place on 8th January,” he said, in a statement that was made public.

STANDARDS OF DEMOCRACY
According to him, Sri Lanka has among the oldest democratic traditions in the Commonwealth and assured that the Observer Group’s work will revolve around ensuring that the standards for democratic elections are upheld.
“(Our task is) to assess whether the election is conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Sri Lanka has committed itself, with reference to national election-related legislation as well as Commonwealth and other international commitments,” he said
Dr Jagdeo explained that the nine-member Observer team is tasked with considering all the factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole.
The Chairman of the Commonwealth Observer Group said, “We will consider, among other things, whether conditions exist for credible elections, including a fair election environment; whether public media has been impartial; the transparency of the entire process; whether voters are free to express their will; and whether the counting and results process is transparent.”
He made it clear that the team’s assessment will be neutral, impartial, objective and independent.
“The Group has no executive role. Its function is not to supervise but to observe the process as a whole and to form a judgment accordingly…. our intent is to offer constructive support to help strengthen the democratic process in the country,” Dr Jagdeo said.
The Commonwealth Observer Group is expected to make recommendations to the authorities concerned on institutional, procedural and other matters that would assist the holding of such elections in the future.
“We have already met with the Commissioner of Elections, national observer groups, and representatives of the two main candidates. Over the coming days we will be meeting Commonwealth High Commissioners, representatives of the police as well as civil society groups. We will then deploy across the country to observe the conclusion of the campaign and thereafter the voting, counting and results process,” Dr Jagdeo said.

REPORTS
He disclosed that the Group will release an Interim Statement after the election and subsequently will submit a final report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will forward it to the Government of Sri Lanka, the Commissioner of Elections, and leaders of political parties, and thereafter to all Commonwealth Governments.
The nine-member Observer Group has been drawn from across the Commonwealth, and includes former politicians and members of parliament, former members of election commissions and representatives of civil society and the media.
In addition to Dr Jagdeo, the other Commonwealth Observers in Sri Lanka include: Ms Maria Chin Abdullah, The Coalition of Free and Fair Elections, Malaysia; Dr Cam Calder, Former Member of Parliament, New Zealand; Mr Qamar Zaman Kairam, Former Minister and Member of Parliament, Pakistan; Mr Eldred De Klerk, Rule of law and elections security expert, South Africa; Dr Sally Kosgei, Former Minister and Member of Parliament, Kenya; Ms Sa-adatu Maida, Election Commissioner, Ghana; Mr Brij Bihari Tandon, Former Election Commissioner of India, India; and Ms Lainy Malkani, Media Expert, United Kingdom.
The Group is supported by a staff team of five, led by Ms Katalaina Sapolu, Director of the Rule of Law Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The Commonwealth recently observed the 2010 Presidential election and the 2013 Northern Provincial Council elections.