German Embassy supports ‘fair and free’ elections-related project
View(s):The German Embassy in Colombo is supporting a ‘fair and free’ elections-related project through the provision of NICs and birth certificates in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector.
The project, the embassy said in an announcement on Tuesday, is aimed at promoting the development of a culture of democracy by and for Sri Lankans through civic engagement initiatives and involves funding mobile identification documentation clinics for plantation sector workers of Indian origin.
Deputy Ambassador Michael Dohmen and First Secretary Gerhard Truemper meet representatives of CHR, including Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon.
The project is implemented by the Centre for Human Rights and Research (CHR) Sri Lanka, a sister organization of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections.
“Participatory democracy ensures all members of a population make meaningful contributions to decision-making, as well as broadening the range of people who have access to such opportunities. The Uva Province is home to a large number of Indian origin estate workers who have a history of political, social and economic marginalization. This exclusion is illustrated by the lack of identification documents for close to 30 per cent of the population,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Government has frowned on foreign countries and organizations supporting initiatives to ensure fair and free polls, saying it is interfering in local affairs.
The embassy said CHR aims to conduct 16 clinics to help 4400 people obtain documents such as birth certificates and National Identification Cards. The organization will work closely with officials from the Department for the Registration of Persons, local councils, civil society organizations, community and religious leaders to ensure the importance of owning and acquiring such documentation is conveyed to the target group. CHR also hopes to encourage electoral participation in the upcoming Uva Provincial Council elections.
“In post-conflict environments, holding free and fair elections is an important step on the road to democracy. The challenge lies in improving electoral processes so as to make them more transparent, participatory and independent,” said Deputy Ambassador Dr. Michael Dohmen. “We hope this project will help the community in question increase the scale of its participation in the decision-making process, and thus actively contribute to its own social, political and economic empowerment.”