On the 29th of January 2024, Ms Kumuduni Samuel, Director Programmes on behalf of the Women and Media Collective, submitted recommendations focus on the electoral system reform, with a special emphasis on increasing women’s representation, and broader electoral reforms for a more democratic political culture to the Presidential Secretariat. The recommendations were made through extensive consultations with women politicians, activists, and advocates across Sri Lanka, on 12.06.2021 and 16.06.2021
The recommendations including those listed below were considered be beneficial to all political parties and may be adopted regardless of political agenda.
Systematic regulation of registered political parties
- Parliamentary Elections Act No. 01 of 1981 is the only guideline for determining the activities of political parties. This should be revised according to current neds andcontextual changes in consultation with all political parties.
- Mandating enforcable guidelines for political party registration will enable better
monitoring and regulation of party activities. - Women should be appointed to leadership and decision-making positions, a
mandatory quota must be put in place. (see point B VI above).
Advance Voting
- A system of advance voting should be introduced for the full realisation of the franchise of voters traditionally marginalised on election day.
- A mechanism for introducing electronic voting system with appropriate safeguards should be considered.
- Special polling booths or other advance voting arrangements should be made
available to facilitate the voting of factory workers, FTZ workers, people with
disabilities, senior citizens, and others with similar difficulties. - Migrant workers registered with the government should be permitted to vote and an appropriate mechanism introduced.
Campaign financing
- There should be a legally mandated cap on election related expenditure by and on behalf of candidates and political parties and candidates should be required to name donors and contributors funding election campaigns.
- The Elections Commission should be empowered to monitor and regulate this along with financial regulations through the Central Bank to track sources of funding, including from foreign sources.
- Prospective candidates must make a publicly accessible asset and liability
declaration before an election, and if elected every year thereafter until their term of office expires. - New regulatory guidelines that prohibit the misuse of state property for election
campaigning must be formulated. The Elections Commission as competent authority must proactively take legal action against misuse of state resources and media by political parties, candidates and their supporters.
Election violence
- Laws should provide for security to women politicians and eliminate all forms of
covert and overt violence election related violence against women candidates,
including hate speech and character assassination, whether in the media or by
fellow politicians. - A commonly agreed electoral code of conduct in relation to election violence should be introduced for political parties and their candidates.
- Suitable legislation must be formulated, in consultation with the Election Commission, election monitoring institutions and broader civil society, to curtail hate speech, misinformation and disinformation in state and private media, while protecting freedom of expression and access to information.