Sri Lankan lessons for elections in Bangsamoro
"It is an eye-opener to look into Sri Lanka’s experience. If they can, why can’t we? It gives me the idea that it is possible."
These words from Mr Neil Pacamalan, Senior Adviser of Partido Bangon Bangsamoro, capture the inspiration drawn from the WFD Bangsamoro programme’s recent learning exchange to Sri Lanka ahead of the approaching 2025 elections in the autonomous region.
Sri Lanka has moved from violent, ethnically divided elections to a recent peaceful transition of power, driven in large part through collective action and grassroots efforts demanding change.
Meanwhile, elections in the Philippines, particularly in Bangsamoro, have historically been marred by violence. Numerous studies and reports have consistently identified the region as an election violence hotspot.
Members of the new Bangsamoro Parliament and senior leaders of various regional political parties have an opportunity to set the standards in political culture for the upcoming elections, ensuring they are peaceful and allow citizens a meaningful chance to choose who governs them.
From 21–24 January 2025, representatives from all 16 regional political parties in the Bangsamoro travelled to Sri Lanka for a learning visit. This immersion provided valuable insights into how a whole-of-society approach contributed to peaceful elections in Sri Lanka. The Bangsamoro representatives also received practical tips on political party development from their Sri Lankan counterparts.
The delegates met with organisations and individuals ranging from the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) — a non-profit organisation that collaborates with civil society to monitor electoral activities, advocate for peaceful conduct, and promote transparency — to Mr Milinda Rajapakse, convenor of NextGenSL, a cross-party initiative, led by youth political activists, that promotes inter- and intra-party unity.
They also met political leaders from various parties to discuss women’s political participation, grassroots engagement, peacebuilding, political transition, and transitional justice, interfaith dialogue and political inclusivity.
Delegates were also able to witness a session in the Parliament of Sri Lanka and meet with officials at the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, who shared innovative strategies such as an Election Dispute Resolution (EDR) mechanism and leveraging social media influencers to disseminate election-related information.
MP Suharto Ismael of the ruling United Bangsamoro Justice Party praised the learning exchange, stating: "The ability of WFD to connect with different entities in Sri Lanka and organise meetings with various parties is commendable. I have attended many learning visits, but this one stood out as we engaged with a diverse range of groups—the Election Commission, PAFFREL, ruling party, and opposition."
Atty Nazir Ynawat, Regional Chairman of the Bangsamoro Federal Party, commended WFD for being the first organisation to convene all 16 regional political parties in the Bangsamoro, describing it as a "challenging yet significant milestone that he hopes will continue".
About Bangsamoro
Bangsamoro is an autonomous region in the Southern Philippines formed with the enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on 27 July 2018. The establishment of Bangsamoro (Officially the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM) was the culmination of several years of peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
A transition body, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is serving as the interim regional governing body pending elections scheduled for October 2025.
Since 2020, WFD has been leading a programme supporting the BTA to deliver some of the most pressing areas of the transition.
