Justice Marasinghe, HC Kananathan part of international election observer mission in Sierra Leone

Two eminent Sri Lankans joined the international election observer mission to observe and assess the conduct of the general election in Sierra Leone, held on 24 June 2023, in which that country’s president, parliament, and other local representatives would be elected, sources said.

Justice Rohini Marasinghe was part of the 11-member Commonwealth election observation mission, headed by the former Vice President of the Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and Lankan High Commissioner Veluppillai Kananathan, who is a well-known personality in Africa, was invited by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone to join the international observer mission. It was a unique occurrence that two members from Sri Lanka were included in the international election observer mission in an African country.

The European Union (EU), the African Union Commission (AUC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and other teams, led by non-governmental organizations, comprised the electoral observation mission.

During her visit to Sierra Leone, Justice Rohini Marasinghe, a retired Supreme Court Judge and the current chair of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, intends meeting with Bishop Dr. Joseph Humper, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone, early next week. She had a conversation with Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff over the phone and the meeting is fixed for Sunday. The human rights abuses had occurred in Sierra Leone between 1991 and 2002. Justice

Justice Marasinghe said that Sri Lanka studied the experiences of the TRC in South Africa and added that Sri Lanka was in the process of establishing a suitable model of a truth and reconciliation and the normative Act of the TRC is already in preparatory process. She said that the country is very much committed to deal with the past conflict in the North and East as well as the conflict in the South in the ’70s and ’80s and move forward as both parties had committed atrocities and now the time has come to put an end to that dark era.

She said that most important matter is to understand the challenges faced by the TRC Sierra Leone and the manner it could overcome those challenges.

Justice Marasinghe further explained that it is important before the country moves for transitional justice, there must be a well-established agreement with families of the victims and the perpetrators. The terms of reference of the Commission, including its mandate and the composition, must be acceptable to all concerned.

Justice Marasinghe intends to have a full briefing on this matter with the local members of the TRC of Sierra Leone.