The Government is exploring mechanisms to enable Sri Lankans living overseas to cast their votes, with initial discussions currently underway among key institutions.
Sources close to the matter said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had initiated a round of stakeholder consultations with line ministries, focusing on a comparative analysis of overseas voting models.
However, it is learnt that large-scale models used in some foreign countries are reportedly not being considered at this stage.
Authorities are also examining which categories of overseas Sri Lankans will be eligible to vote. One proposal under consideration is an in-person voting system conducted through Sri Lankan embassies.
It is learnt that some officials have advocated for a mandatory advance registration system, along with mechanisms to verify citizenship and electoral eligibility prior to voting.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that many Sri Lankans living abroad, particularly those working in the Middle East, had retained their Sri Lankan citizenship and contributed significantly to the national economy.
“They have a right to choose their leaders,” the spokesperson said, adding that internationally, several countries already allowed their citizens to vote from overseas through their embassies.
“In such instances, the Foreign Ministry facilitates the process by providing the necessary support, including arrangements such as security at polling locations,” the spokesperson explained.
The spokesperson confirmed that a committee had been established to study the legal frameworks and assess how such a system could be implemented in Sri Lanka. The committee includes representatives from the Department of Immigration and Emigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Election Commission (EC).
Discussions are currently ongoing, with the process still at a preliminary stage.
Meanwhile, the EC also confirmed that a separate committee tasked with recommending the necessary legal and procedural reforms was continuing its deliberations.
The committee had earlier invited views and suggestions from Sri Lankan citizens living abroad, civil society organisations, and Sri Lankan missions and embassies as part of efforts to establish a mechanism for overseas voting.
EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake told The Sunday Morning that discussions on this matter were currently underway.
The Cabinet had previously appointed the committee to study possible amendments to existing laws, as Sri Lankan citizens residing overseas are currently unable to vote under the country’s electoral framework.
Following its appointment, the committee issued a public notice calling for written submissions from stakeholders, including Sri Lankan missions abroad, civil society organisations, and overseas Sri Lankan citizens, with a view to developing a more democratic, transparent, and efficient system.
Submissions were sought on key areas such as voter registration, election campaigning and advertising, voting procedures, and the counting of votes and declaration of results.
The deadline for submissions closed on 15 February.
Establishing a formal mechanism for overseas Sri Lankans to exercise their voting rights is a pledge in the manifesto of the National People’s Power.