Several civil society organizations in Sri Lanka including ANFREL members PAFFREL and CMEV, which united as the Civil Society Collective for Protecting the Franchise, urged diplomatic missions in the country to call for the holding of local government elections to protect the democracy.

With the uncertainty with the holding of the local government elections after several postponements amid economic and political turmoil, Sri Lankan CSOs turn to international partners asking them to closely monitor the situation and support the call to ensure that the elections are held in a timely, fair and transparent manner.

The CSO collective urged them to "impress upon the government to hold the elections in a timely manner and highlight its importance for stability and economic recovery" and that the continuous postponement of elections has "serious implications to democracy and governance" and "compromise constitutional guarantee to elect representatives."

They said they remain resolute in their commitment to promoting and establishing democratic practices within Sri Lanka.

Read the full statement here: "Civil society members of Sri Lanka seek support of Diplomatic Missions to their call to hold Local Government Elections on time and protect democracy"