CEPPS Quarterly Report: October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018

The program is implemented by the Center for Elections and Democracy (CEPPS) under the USAID Associate Cooperative Agreement No. AID-383-LA-15-00001. The project dates from September 29, 2015, to September 30, 2019. Sri Lanka's national unity government, inaugurated in 2015, committed to an ambitious good governance reform agenda. However, the continued lack of progress on many of the promised reforms has led to growing public discontent with the government. The leadership within the Election Commission (EC) has demonstrated its capacity to run elections effectively, but the upcoming electoral cycles could introduce significant challenges that necessitate elevated technical capacity at all levels of the EC staff and amongst a broader group of electoral stakeholders. The IEMP program addresses three key objectives: assisting the national election management body to develop a multi-year strategic plan to transition to an independent election commission, strengthening the capacity of the election management body to administer credible and inclusive national, provincial, and local elections in Sri Lanka, and advancing transparency and public information related to elections and political processes in Sri Lanka. The program is contingent upon the willingness of national partners to receive technical assistance and support. Key assumptions include the local government election and provincial council elections being held within the program period, the political environment enabling the passage of legal reforms, and the EC and parliament continuing to engage with CEPPS partners. A significant political update relevant to program implementation is the attempted instatement of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, along with the dissolution of Parliament, which was deemed unconstitutional. The move was met with opposition from civil society members and foreign diplomats, who called for the reconvening of Parliament. The dissolution of Parliament is outside the president's purview, as specified in the nineteenth amendment, which requires a two-thirds majority of parliamentarians to vote for dissolution. The IEMP program aims to support the EC in developing a multi-year strategic plan to transition to an independent election commission, strengthening the capacity of the election management body to administer credible and inclusive elections, and advancing transparency and public information related to elections and political processes in Sri Lanka. The program's success is contingent upon the willingness of national partners to receive technical assistance and support, as well as the fulfillment of key assumptions.