Cabinet approval has been granted to appoint a committee comprising officials from several ministries to prepare the necessary legal amendments enabling Sri Lankans residing overseas to exercise their right to vote.
At present, under the existing five types of elections, there is no legal mechanism or procedure in place to facilitate voting by Sri Lankans abroad. The government has, however, taken note that many Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have already established legal frameworks allowing their expatriate citizens to cast their votes.
With the objective of safeguarding the voting rights of Sri Lankans living overseas, Cabinet approval was obtained for the proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government to appoint a committee. This committee, consisting of officials from the Election Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Employment and Tourism, the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, as well as other relevant ministries and institutions, will be tasked with studying the necessary measures to amend the existing laws or draft new legislation.
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