• Youth to Lead SL advocacy group enlightens the EC on aspects to consider 

At a time when the need to expand youth involvement in politics is reflected more than ever following the unprecedented political changes that took place in the country in the past few years, the ‘Youth to Lead Sri Lanka’ which is a youth-based advocacy group, recently spearheaded a pivotal meeting with the Election Commission (EC). The group presented a comprehensive array of recommendations aimed at amplifying the voices of young individuals and fostering their active participation in the democratic process. The set of proposals included those pertaining to voter awareness and incentivisation, candidates, the youth and women’s quota, electoral system reforms, and the party registration process.

Voter awareness & incentivisation

The group stated that they advocate for the expansion of the EC’s role beyond merely conducting elections. As the sole authority responsible for election-related oversight, they said that the EC holds a paramount responsibility to enhance voter awareness and familiarity with the entire electoral process, and added that events like model elections and vote counting, organised by the EC and youth groups, have exposed the public to crucial electoral components. They highlighted the need for novel and innovative initiatives across the Island to raise voter awareness, with a special focus on marginalised and rural communities.

Candidates

Acknowledging the practical challenges in developing an online system containing candidate information such as education, age, attendance, and prior Parliamentary experience, the Group proposed that the EC collaborate with private or other entities to create an accessible trilingual online platform with comprehensive candidate information. They said that such an initiative would empower voters to make informed decisions, thereby enhancing effective voter behaviour and transparency in the electoral process, ultimately elevating its overall quality.

Youth quota & candidates

While acknowledging the incorporation of the 25% youth quota to the Local Government (LG) last year, the group requested the EC to intervene and support in introducing a youth quota for other tiers of governance such as the Provincial Councils (PCs) and the Parliament. They said that the current composition of elected members of these institutions do not reflect this demographic of the country which is 25% of the population. Thus, as an affirmative action to fix the numbers at these decision-making bodies, they said that they believe that the introduction of a quota is imperative.

Women’s quota & candidates

Similar to youth representation, the group highlighted that women's representation has remained at a record low since the country's Independence, accounting for around 5% or less of the Parliament compared to the 52% female population in Sri Lanka. Acknowledging the introduction of a 25% women’s quota at the LG level, they urged the EC to intervene and support the implementation of similar quotas at PCs and the Parliament. Additionally, they suggested conducting an evaluation of the positives and shortcomings of the women’s quota that is already implemented at the LG level to contribute to lessons learned.

Electoral system reforms

The group opined that the existing proportional representation (PR) system could unfairly disadvantage new candidates, especially youth candidates, due to their lack of funding and other resources. They therefore suggested introducing a 'mixed member system' where voters can cast separate votes for both parties and candidates on a single ballot paper, and added that the electoral system of the German Bundestag could serve as a model to be followed.

Party registration processes

In relation to the processes of registering political parties, they recommended that the EC reevaluate the party registration process, taking practicalities into consideration. Despite there being 84 registered parties in Sri Lanka, they claimed that some of those parties are not actively engaged in politics or are limited to a few individuals. However, they said that numerous new groups are active on the ground, awaiting party registration due to a rigid process. The Group recommended that the EC reconsider the current process and suggest suitable reforms.

Partnerships with youth organisations

Emphasising on the need for the relevant stakeholders to build partnerships with youth organisations, the group recommended that the EC facilitate a hub of youth organisations working on democracy, human rights, good governance, and civic engagement. They said that such a move would help build connections with such organisations and enable partnerships for initiatives such as voter awareness and promoting inclusive representation in a more amplified manner.

Disability rights & measures to be promoted among the public

The group stated that they appreciate the EC’s active role in the recent past, in promoting voting rights for persons with disabilities, and added that they are pleased to see that necessary measures have been taken to facilitate the voting rights of persons with disabilities. In order to increase the impact of these measures, they recommended increasing public awareness of these initiatives, adding that it would help ensure that the general public also feels a sense of responsibility in ensuring the voting rights of their fellow citizens.

Campaign financing

While commending the Government's efforts in regulating election campaign financing through the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, No. 3 of 2023, the group recommended establishing an expert committee to monitor, identify, and analyse potential loopholes or shortcomings that may arise in the implementation of the newly-introduced legislation. This proposed committee would suggest ways to mitigate such outcomes prior to future elections.

New partnerships to strengthen democracy

The group further recommended that the EC expand its stakeholders and partners from the civil society to corporate entities in promoting voting rights and strengthening democracy. For example, they said that corporations could offer awards, recognitions, or other incentives to encourage their employees to vote, while the EC could provide recognition to corporations for their active role in promoting voting rights. Towards that end, the group proposed that the EC engage with the private sector to promote such measures through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.

Overseas voting

Considering the number of citizens migrating to other countries, the group stated that they believe that it is high time to consider introducing overseas voting, especially for countries with a high number of Sri Lankan workers. They said that they understand the range of practical difficulties in implementing such a programme and that this conversation has been ongoing for some time, but added however that it is now imperative to reconsider the possibilities given the current context.

MPs’ qualifications

The group emphasised the importance of strictly adhering to qualifications and disqualifications of MPs as outlined in the Constitution when granting candidacy for the Parliamentary Election, as well as the qualifications and disqualifications of members of other tiers of governance as specified by their respective laws. In the event of any adverse situations arising even after the candidacy is legally accepted, they proposed that the EC investigate such instances and take action.