Seychelles' former President Faure to lead Commonwealth Observer Group at Sri Lanka's presidential election

The 14-member group was deployed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland. (Danny Faure Foundation)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles' former President Danny Faure will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group at Sri Lanka's presidential election, which will be held on September 21.

According to a press release on Monday, the 14-member group was deployed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, following a pre-election assessment mission to the country and an invitation from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.

Scotland announced the group ahead of the deployment in London, saying: "Election observation work is a core strength of the Commonwealth, providing vital support to the process and institutions of democracy across our member states, in line with the principles and aspirations of our Charter."

She added, "As part of their critical work, the Commonwealth Observer Group will comprehensively assess all factors impacting the credibility of the electoral process, including the pre-election environment, voting procedures, counting and tabulation processes, as well as the post-election environment following the announcement of results. Their findings will be presented in an interim report, followed by a final report with recommendations to further help strengthen future elections."

The Commonwealth Observer Group will be in Sri Lanka from September 15 to 27 and will be supported by a seven-member staff team from the Commonwealth Secretariat, led by Lindiwe Maleleka, political adviser in the Electoral Support Section of Governance and Peace Directorate.

Scotland also expressed her gratitude to the chairperson, who will lead the group, and to each of the eminent experts, drawn from across the Commonwealth, who will participate in this important assignment.    

The independent observer group will determine whether the election complies with Sri Lanka's electoral laws and meets relevant regional, Commonwealth, and international standards. Observers will adhere to the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, which the Commonwealth was one of the original signatories to at the United Nations in 2005, to ensure the professionalism and credibility of election observation.

At the end of the assignment, the COG will submit a comprehensive report containing their observations and recommendations to the Commonwealth Secretary-General. This report will subsequently be made public and shared with the government of Sri Lanka, the Election Commission, political parties, and Commonwealth member governments.