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Voter apathy, weekday contribute to low turnout, say polls observers
View(s):By Ishu Bandara
Voter apathy, a changed political landscape and holding the election on a weekday were among reasons for the historic low voter turnout at the general elections, election observers opined.
The overall turnout at Thursday’s election was 68.93% as compared to the 75.89% turnout in 2020 and the 79.46% turnout at the recently concluded presidential election.
Executive Director of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi, observed that many voters disengaged even before election day, as they anticipated the winning party in advance. Additionally, most parties and individual candidates failed to conduct proper election campaigns.
Polls observors at a voting centre. Pix by Indika Handuwala
“Although candidates have money, they are hesitant to use their resources due to uncertainty about being elected. In the past, political parties and candidates could analyze voting patterns and predict their support with some confidence. However, with the current political shifts, it has become difficult to gauge voter behavior. Additionally, the privileges and advantages once enjoyed by parliamentarians are no longer guaranteed, adding to the uncertainty,” added Mr Hettiarchchi.
Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies, highlighted that this election marked the second-lowest voter turnout in Sri Lanka’s history, following the 2010 parliamentary election.
Fuwad Thowfeek: Chief of FEMBoSA
He noted that while holding an election on a Thursday is legally acceptable, Sri Lankans are more accustomed to voting on weekends, making this timing unusual. Additionally, with Thursday being the only working day before the Poya holiday and the weekend, many laborers found it inconvenient. Employers were also hesitant to grant leave on a weekday, fearing disruptions to production and targets. In contrast, elections held on weekends, such as the presidential election, avoided such challenges and saw smoother participation.
When asked about the European Union’s (EU) perspective on Sri Lanka’s General Elections 2024, Marek Mracka, the EU’s Public Outreach Officer said that they are not engaging with the media. “Our team is very small, with only three members, and we lack the capacity for visibility. As such, we won’t be conducting public engagements, such as reaching out to journalists or organizing similar activities.”
The EU deployed an Election Expert Mission to Sri Lanka to conduct a detailed assessment of key technical aspects of the recent parliamentary election and EU experts engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, political parties, candidates, civil society, media representatives, and technical partners.
Mr Mracka further told the Sunday Times, “In the second half of January, we will present our final report on the presidential election, and at that time, we will invite all media personnel to the event.”
Despite the International Observation team of the Commonwealth not participating in the General Election of Sri Lanka in this year, The Chief of FEMBoSA the Election Management Bodies of South Asia countries Fuwad Thowfeek told the Sunday Times“This time, we are told to submit our reports and comments to the Election Commission only, and they will give news to media.”
Brizza Rosales :ANFREL Executive Director
As the only international observation organisation to deploy a significant number of observers for the Sri Lanka Parliamentary Elections, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) has sent a total of 30 observers, including the Mission Management Team, 2 electoral analysts, 13 Long-Term Observers (LTOs), and 10 Short-Term Observers (STOs). These observers were strategically placed across Sri Lanka’s 22 electoral districts to ensure comprehensive coverage and assessment of the election process.
“We can confidently say that the 2024 Sri Lanka Parliamentary Elections were peaceful and orderly. However, we observed challenges such as a projected low voter turnout, ongoing accessibility issues, and concerns regarding ballot secrecy,” said Brizza Rosales, Executive Director of ANFREL.
Both international and local observers have noted that the 2024 Sri Lankan General Elections were conducted in a relatively peaceful and orderly manner. While the election process reflected stability, observers also highlighted areas needing improvement, such as accessibility and voter participation, underscoring the importance of addressing these issues in future elections.
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