One of the focus areas of which the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has been vocal in parallel with the electoral reform process in Sri Lanka since several decades ago, is the need to regulate unlimited election campaign expenditure in Sri Lanka and to introduce an appropriate legislative mechanism. It is gratifying to note that there has been a strong social focus on this election-related theme at the time, and the Centre for Election Violence Monitoring has also spearheaded various initiatives aimed at continuing a broader social dialogue on the subject matter.
As part of the series of online programs being organized on the above topic, another such program being arranged to be conducted in collaboration with the ‘Next Generation’. We look forward to discussing the challenges facing young political activists in this country in the face of unregulated and unlimited election campaign finances, and we hope that all citizens who aspire to a Level Playing Field in the electoral process will join us in this discussion.
Women’s political activism became more active in the country around 1919 with the island-wide movement for women’s suffrage. Even though it has been more or less the opportunity to contest elections since then, getting nominations for women activists is still not an easy task. The forthcoming Provincial Council election will certainly be a challenging occasion. If given a chance, there are a large number of women political activists who aspire to contest elections.
This issue was also discussed extensively during a series of training programs for women political activists organized by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) in collaboration with IRI and this short video contains the views expressed by R.Iresha Udeni Hettihewa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) who participated in this Uva Provincial Workshop.
Various activists and civil society organizations in the country have, for a long time, been calling for specific recognition for women’s political activism. The 25% quota for women, established for local government bodies, was a significant milestone. Although it confirmed only 23.5% female representation at the end of the election, it was a hallmark of Sri Lanka’s future women’s political representation. The most interesting trend in that process was the emergence of a strong women’s force of 1926 compared to only 88 female members in local government bodies before the quota system.
One way to further reinforce the future political activism of women is to give them an appropriate and sufficient understanding of the procedures of the institutional system and the laws on local governance. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) will continue to support them in this regard. This short video has been prepared with the views of female local government representatives who participated in a series of programs conducted in collaboration with the International Republican Institute (IRI).
CMEV is passionate about women’s political activism in the country and continues to promote and encourage women’s political activism.
Simultaneously, a series of workshops were held covering the entire island in the recent past. Here is a very short video made of the opinions shared by Surangi Samaratunga, a Member of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at the workshop held in the North Central Province.
CMEV organized the event in collaboration with the International Republican Institute (IRI) as part of a Series of Post- Election Assessment Workshops with Women Local Government Representatives and Political Activists.
The number of people who lose the opportunity to cast their vote in every election held in this country is unlimited. That number was close to 3 million at the last election. Although there may be a certain percentage of people in the country who abstain from voting to protest without voting, most live in a background where the facilities to cast their votes are marginal. To provide an Advance Voting facility to the voters of this country, there should be a continuous dialogue among the electoral stakeholders and there should be a special focus and interest on it among the newly elected members of Parliament as well. The second Virtual Discussion organized by CMEV in association with DRI will be held from 6.00 PM to 7.30 PM on the 20th of December 2020.
What is the golden rule that should exist in any sport? All competitors compete on an equal playing field. Elections are also a sport in a democratic country. Its competitors are candidates. However, no such level playing field has been created for the forthcoming elections in this country. Is it a dream to find such a level playing field as long as election campaign finance is not regulated? Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) cordially invites you to join us for the first webinar discussion on ” Importance of Regulating Election Campaign Finance to create a level playing field in Elections in Sri Lanka”
The webinar discussion will be on the 29th of November commencing at 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm, in the Tamil language with the participation of Parliamentarians and prominent political women activists. We would greatly value your participation and contribution to the discussion We kindly request you to join us 15 minutes prior to the session.
Sri Lanka has a distinguished history of election management. The number of national and local level elections held so far since the country gained universal suffrage is about 74. Until 2015, the Department of Elections was the authority to hold elections in this country. The Election Commission was then established. The said Election Commission is due to end its term on November 13, 2020. Therefore, here is an Infographic compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) showing the tenure of the officials responsible for the conduct of the elections from the time of the commencement of the formal elections in the country to the present day.
The media is a stakeholder that can never be excluded in any country in which democratic elections are conducted. Regardless of whether the media entity is conventional and mainstream or alternative and new, media behavior indisputably affects the integrity of any election. Continued election observation undertaken by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) over several decades in Sri Lanka has strongly proven that the role of the media in the electoral process in the country is decisive.
While there is an ongoing discussion concerning the role of the media in this country, what is of utmost significance is establishing practices where the strong connectivity between the media and elections can be considered together, rather than allowing the media to be considered as a factor detached from the electoral process.
Accordingly, the objective of this small booklet designed and published by CMEV is to provide a glimpse of the nature of reporting carried out by mainstream newspapers during the election period. This reporting carried news and perspectives on the election to voters as the campaign unfolded. Sri Lankan newspapers have wide and increasing circulation across the country and thus have the power of informing and shaping the views of society, across any issue connected to elections. What is collated in this publication is the perspectives of a diverse range of newspapers having such circulation during the election.
We are pleased to present you the final report prepared by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) on estimated election campaign costs of the Parliamentary.
CMEV has stated from the outset that one of the urgent electoral reforms in the country should be to set up a legal mechanism to regulate election-related expenditure in the country. To this end, one of the decisive factors that must necessarily be there is the relevant evidence-based data.
Accordingly, for the first time in the electoral history of the country, CMEV has released a detailed report on the estimated election campaign cost incurred by candidates, political parties and independent groups contested the Parliamentary Election 2020.
CMEV is pleased to present its final Election Observation Report for the 2020 Parliamentary Election. The report provides an overview of the election overall; key election features and trends; a summation of CMEV’s election observation activities; trends in election violations it finds notable; and recommendations for all election stakeholders to strengthen and improve the election process in Sri Lanka.
It also provides detail, data and tabulations on election violations observed and recorded by CMEV during the pre-election, Election Day and post-election periods; as well as the communiqués and materials CMEV published throughout the election period.
An extraordinary gazette notification containing the Code of Conduct for contesting political parties, independent groups and candidates of the elections has been published.
The Election Commission said the relevant Code of Conduct is issued in terms of Section 8(8) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 as amended by the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act, No. 58 of 2009.
Download Code of Conduct for Contesting Political Parties/Independent Groups And Candidates of the Elections in Sinhala / Tamil / English
ANFREL and six domestic election observation groups, including ANFREL members PAFFREL and CMEV, release today the “COVID-19 Code of Conduct for Election Observers” ahead of the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections.
This document is a joint initiative from organizations both domestic and international intending to observe the parliamentary elections of Sri Lanka. The polls were initially scheduled for 25 April 2020 but have been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting the country. While the date at which the elections could be held remains uncertain, pending a ruling from the Supreme Court on the matter, election monitoring organizations have decided to plan ahead and draft guidelines so that election observation may take place in the most responsible manner.
This document first provides an overview of some of the interventions made by CMEV in this period. It also details media coverage of CMEV’s activities and interventions. Finally, the document provides a snapshot of activity on CMEV’s official website and Facebook pages, as indicators of CMEV’s online operations during this period.
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