Brussels, 14/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission approved an EUR 701 385 project for an EU mission to observe the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka on 10 October. The mission will consist of a core team of 6 experts, including a Chief Observer, and 28 long-term campaign observers, who will arrive in Sri Lanka early next week, and observe the remainder of the campaign in Colombo and the provinces. Another forty observers will arrive in the week leading up to the polls.
The European Commission has appointed MEP John Cushnahan (Irish Fine Gael member and Parliament rapporteur on Hong Kong) as Chief Observer. European Commissioner Chris Patten commented that there are few Irish politicians who can boast of such long and diverse experience in election matters. He said Sri Lanka's population is justified in being proud of its long history of democratic elections but these elections took place in a climate of violence and intimidation. He said he hopes the international observers will, by their presence, help to reduce the possibility of fraud and electoral irregularities and the political violence and tension that has again been seen in this campaign.