2019 Sri Lanka Presidential Election

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) congratulates the people of Sri Lanka on the successful, largely peaceful and orderly conduct of the 2019 Presidential Election held on November 16. The Election Commission of Sri Lanka (EC) needs to be particularly acknowledged for delivering on its constitutional mandate to ensure an electoral process that has drawn confidence of people and political parties alike. The success of election was resounded by the acceptance of the election outcome by all contesting parties in a welcome demonstration of democratic maturity, yielding a quick and swift transfer of power.

Despite some procedural inadequacies such as insufficient safeguards to protect voters’ secrecy, generally unclear definition of the role of police officials inside polling stations and differential understanding of election officials to handle tendered and spoilt ballots, the voting process on Election Day ran smoothly. However, the smoothness of the process was not felt by all voters. Almost all polling stations observed by ANFREL observers posed an accessibility challenge to persons with disability (PWD), especially wheelchair-bound and elderly voters. ANFREL recommends to the EC, relevant government agencies and civil society organizations (CSOs) to pay immediate attention to creating a more enabling environment for particularly elderly voters and PWDs.

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