COLOMBO: The international election monitoring group, the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA), called the May 10 polls in East as one of the best behaved and effectively conducted elections they had ever witnessed.

Releasing their observation report on the polls yesterday, the AAEA said that the elections were totally free and fair and that they had not encountered a single untoward incident during their monitoring process. The AAEA comprised 17 members from 10 Asian countries, with the team including eminent personalities in their respective countries including several elections commissioners in their ranks, who had a thorough experience in international election observations.

Group leader Ming-Hwa Tsai said the team had been divided into three groups and had done an extensive monitoring process before arriving at the conclusion. The AAEA praised the conduct of polling agents, election and security authorities for their active participation in the process which they called as one which acted as an effective form of check-and-balance preventing malpractices. They also noted that the professionalism demonstrated by the election administrators had greatly contributed to the credibility of the result. The AAEA also praised the behaviour of the Eastern polity, describing the voter participation, discipline and enthusiasm as exemplary. The AAEA pointed out that this in itself was ample testimony to their understanding of the importance of the electoral exercise and adhering to democratic norms.

The AAEA concluding their mission said the fact that people themselves embraced the elections, more than anything else, proved that the poll was free and fair.

(Courtesy : Daily News )