Justice Rohini Marasinghe and HC on election observer mission in Sierra Leon

Two eminent Sri Lankans joined the international election observer mission to observe and assess the conduct of the General Election in Sierra Leone on June 24, 2023, in which the country’s president, parliament, and other local representatives will be elected. Justice Rohini Marasinghe was part of the 11-member Commonwealth election observation mission headed by the former Vice President of the Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and High Commissioner Veluppillai Kananathan, who is a well-known personality in Africa, was invited by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone to join the international observer mission. It was a unique occurrence that two members from Sri Lanka were included in the international election observer mission in an African country.

High Commissioner Kananathan has already been engaged as an Election observer in the recent General Elections in Kenya and Nigeria. While on the election observation mission,
High Commissioner Kananathan met with high-profile African personalities, including former President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime minister of Burkina Faso Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, and former Vice President of Nigeria Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Further, the High Commissioner also met with the lead Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates and other candidates.

Further, the European Union (EU), the African Union Commission (AUC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and other teams led by non-governmental organizations comprised the electoral observation mission.