04th January 2010

Mr. Dayananda Dissanayake
Commissioner of Elections
Department of Elections
Rajagiriya

Dear Sir,

Voting Rights for Migrant Workers and other Sri Lankans Resident abroad

As a non partisan Social Movement concerned with Welfare and Protection of Sri Lankans resident abroad, we plead with you as the authority conducting the national polls to enable Sri Lanka be an inclusive democracy with a right to all citizens registered to poll to be provided basic facilities to do so.

Under part IV of United Nations Convention 1990 (Which instrument was ratified by Sri Lanka in April 1996) migrant workers and members of their families who are in a documented or in a regular situations (articles 37-56) have rights to participation in public affairs of the State of origin.

Migrant Workers of Sri Lanka are currently unable to exercise their right to vote at any election held in Sri Lanka as travel and other costs for this journey are well beyond their reach.  The Human Rights Commission after examining submissions made to them by us recommended a process of ensuring these rights and creating a necessary mechanism to give effect to this recommendation.

International experience shows that several Asian counties like Philippines and Indonesia do permit their migrant workers abroad to exercise the right to vote while staying in destination countries.

At a time when Sri Lankan authorities are making every effort to enlist support of the Sri Lankan Diaspora living abroad to participate in nation building, it also becomes a national responsibility to enlist non resident Sri Lankans in the political process.  These Diaspora members numbering around 500,000 or more are resident in countries of so called developed world.

We plead that though time constraints may not permit this process to commence in all countries where Sri Lankans are resident it deserves to be tried out in a few countries which may agree to provide friendly assistance to set up this action.

Yours sincerely
Anton Lodwick
Secretary General – National Workers Congress
Chairman – Migrant Services Centre