The European Union has announced the deployment of an Election Observation Mission (EOM), to cover the general election in Sri Lanka on August 17.
Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, has appointed Mr Cristian Preda, Member of the European Parliament, to lead the EOM as chief observer.
Ms Mogherini said: “The European Union has once again responded positively to the invitation of the Sri Lankan authorities to deploy an Election Observation Mission. This shows our continued commitment to work with Sri Lanka to strengthen democracy by advancing the openness and inclusivity of the election process".
Chief Observer Cristian Preda is expected to arrive in Colombo in the coming days to join the team of election experts who were deployed today.
“Our mandate is to observe the elections without interfering in the electoral process, contributing to transparency while respecting local laws and regulations", he said.
The EU EOM will consist of a core team of eight election analysts, and 18 long-term observers, who will be deployed to all provinces on the island, in addition to 28 short term observers, who will be deployed shortly before election day.
