Women civil society orgzns called for postponment of General Elections

Considering the current COVID-19 crisis,at least six women led civil society organizations urged the Election Commission (EC) to take urgent steps to postpone the Parliamentary election as well as halt the nomination process, which inevitably requires public gatherings and movement that will be impossible to monitor or control.

"We have also been deeply concerned about the current COVID-19 crisis and now understand the extremely vital need to prevent the spread of the virus in our communities and to promote responsible behavior amongst everyone." a collective statement said.

Women and Media Collective, Colombo, Women’s Recource Centre, Kurunegala, Women’s Development Centre, Badulla
Viluthu, Colombo, Trincomalee, Vanni and Jaffna, Women’s Solidarity Front, Kandy, and Rural Women’s Front, Galle collectively wrote to EC indicating that they began working at the district level since the dissolution of Parliament to canvass political parties to increase nominations for women and also to encourage political parties to nominate suitable candidates both men and women to contest the scheduled Parliamentary election. "We are therefore aware of the various meetings and mobilisations that have been taking place, in Colombo and at district level in the run up to the final day of nominations,"

"In the light of this national emergency and the need to follow strict guidelines for social distancing as one critical measure to curb the spread of the virus we write to call upon the Elections Commission to take urgent steps to postpone the Parliamentary election as well as halt the nomination process, which inevitably requires public gatherings and movement that will be impossible to monitor or control," a collective statement said.