Srilanka, Nov. 23 -- Sri Lanka's election administration is often praised for its professionalism, despite the many political and institutional pressures surrounding it.

Few people understand the inner workings of this system better than Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake who recently retired after decades of election duty. Speaking to the Sunday Observer this week he reflected on how he entered election management by chance, how the institution evolved from a small department into an independent Commission, and why public servants remain the backbone of Sri Lanka's democratic process.

Q: To begin with, could you explain how you first became involved in election administration?

A: My entry into election work began d...