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| Friday, 18 June 2004 |
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| EU Election Observers final report: April 2 General Election democratic, except for North and East The 2004 General Election was largely conducted in a democratic manner apart from the North-East and there was a "vast improvement" in the law and order situation, states the Final Report of the European Union Election Observation Mission. The report, released in Colombo yesterday, said the "scale and gravity of the problems were greatly diminished during the 2004 General Election compared to the two previous elections (2000 and 2001)". "But there are no grounds for complacency as this may give rise to false hopes that the disturbing features of the 2000 and 2001 elections will not recur," added the report, prepared by Chief Observer John Cushnahan and his team. It noted that in this year's elections, the major incidents of violence originated with the LTTE, whereas in the earlier elections, the primary source of the violence was the two major parties. "The LTTE was determined to ensure that the Tamil national Alliance would emerge as the sole representative of the Tamil people. As a consequence, the violence denied the right of all parties to campaign freely in all parts of the country especially the North-East. The events that took place in this part of Sri Lanka were totally unacceptable and are the antithesis of democracy." It cited a number of factors for the improved situation. Policing of the 2004 election campaign and election day was much less politicised. Police also enforced the prohibition of posters and political processions, removing potential flashpoints and contributing to a substantial decrease in election-related violence. Although the most serious incidents were originated by the LTTE, it must not be forgotten that over 2,000 cases of election related violence were reported. "All political parties have a responsibility to take action to protect the integrity of Sri Lanka's democratic process. Our report makes a number of recommendations on achieving these goals," Cushnahan told a media briefing in Colombo. Cushnahan paid a tribute to the voters for their commitment to democracy and for turning out to vote in massive numbers. The report also praised the Elections Commissioner for his consensual approach and the way he involved representatives instilled confidence in and respect for the election administration. The Observers recommended that the provisions of the 17th Amendment should be fully implemented. The President and the Constitutional Council should be able to find an agreement on the nomination of an independent election commission. Rules for the publication of parties campaign accounts, including campaign contributions, should be introduced. Legislation relating media coverage should consider the right of small parties to get their message across. Paid advertising by political parties should be under the control of an independent institution. The report also called for the computerisation of the voters' register, compulsory use of the ID card for voting and the establishment of an independent media monitoring unit within the Election Commission. |
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