The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) launched on October 31, 2024 its International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) for the 2024 Sri Lankan Parliamentary Elections deploying 13 long-term observers (LTOs).

The 13 LTOs will monitor critical electoral processes over the next two weeks such as campaign activities, voter education, media coverage, and administrative preparations, voting, counting, and post-election activities in all 22 electoral districts in Sri Lanka.

Building on ANFREL’s longstanding commitment to democracy, this mission comes at a promising time as Sri Lanka embraces an important period, with opportunities to strengthen its democratic foundations.

Following the recent Presidential Election, the Parliamentary Elections on November 14, 2024 present an opportunity to reaffirm the country’s democratic direction. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has proposed transforming the executive presidency into a largely ceremonial role, transferring significant powers to Parliament. These elections stand to be instrumental in shaping the future of Sri Lanka’s governance.

Overall, ANFREL’s mission team consists of 30 observers, including two Electoral Analysts, and a Mission Management Team, 13 Long-Term Observers (LTOs), and 10 Short-Term Observers (STOs) who will be deployed on November 11, 2024.

In line with the Declaration of Principles and Code of Conduct for International Election Observation, the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations, ANFREL’s Code of Conduct, and the Model Commitments for Advancing Genuine and Credible Elections, ANFREL’s mission is dedicated to upholding impartiality, objectivity, and integrity throughout the observation process.

ANFREL’s mission will also report on key aspects of the election process, the misuse of state resources, the performance of election authorities, the implementation of the campaign finance law, and the participation of marginalized and vulnerable groups.

ANFREL’s mission aims to provide electoral recommendations to strengthen election integrity, and advocate for accountability with authorities and stakeholders, aiming to reinforce Sri Lanka’s democratic environment by addressing election challenges and supporting sustainable reforms.

ANFREL will release an interim report on 17 November 2024 in Colombo, followed by a comprehensive final report that will present in-depth findings and recommendations for future electoral processes.

ANFREL hopes that the 2024 Parliamentary Elections in Sri Lanka are conducted genuinely, with accountability, transparency, and inclusivity, truly reflecting the will of the people.

About ANFREL

ANFREL is a Bangkok-based regional network of 27 election monitoring groups from 18 countries across Asia. ANFREL focuses on election observation as well as capacity building and development for national civil society organizations and election management bodies that are actively working on democratization. Since its formation in 1997, ANFREL has fielded international observers for all Sri Lankan presidential and parliamentary elections since 2001.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Brizza Rosales, Mission Director, brizza@anfrel.org
Dr. ManjeshRana, Mission Coordinator, rana@anfrel.org
Mr. Tharindu Abeyrathna, National Coordinator, tharindu@anfrel.org

Download the full press release here: “2024 Sri Lanka Parliamentary Elections: ANFREL Launches International Election Observation Mission, Deploys Long-Term Observers“