The attention of the Ministry was drawn to the comments on Sri Lanka attributed to Chair of The Elders and former Irish President Mary Robinson as a part of a recent statement by The Elders titled ‘The Elders express deep concern at failure to respect US democratic transition of power’ which was contained in several newspapers in Ireland.
In this connection, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom Saroja Sirisena wrote to Mrs Robinson and the Editors of the relevant newspapers drawing attention to the inaccuracy of Mrs Robinson’s comments.
High Commissioner Sirisena pointed out that Sri Lanka is one of Asia’s oldest and uninterrupted democracies where people have been exercising universal suffrage since 1931 and that successive Governments in Sri Lanka have always been elected democratically at elections held in a timely manner and subsequent transfer of power has always been swift, smooth, and peaceful.
Foreign Ministry
Colombo
19 November 2020
