COMMONWEALTH Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has constituted an Observer Group for the 2015 Guyana National and Regional Elections following an invitation from the Government of Guyana.The Observer Group, the members of which are slated to arrive in Guyana today, will be led by former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister in New Zealand, Hon Kate Wilkinson.
Mr .Sharma said: “The Commonwealth is committed to preserving its long tradition of support for elections in Guyana. Since 1992 we have been observing its national polls and we are pleased to be given the opportunity to contribute to the further consolidation of its democracy.
“These elections are crucially important for the people of Guyana, as they choose their representatives. It is therefore imperative that the electoral process is transparent, fair, credible, and free of violence.”
The Commonwealth Observer Group, in a statement to the media, said it will consider the pre-electoral environment and preparations. On election-day and thereafter, members will observe the voting process, counting and tabulation procedures and the announcement of results.
The Group will assess all factors affecting the credibility of the electoral process as a whole. It will determine whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Guyana has committed itself, with reference to its own election-related legislation as well as relevant regional, Commonwealth and international commitments.
“The Commonwealth Observer Group will act impartially and make an independent assessment of the electoral process. It will conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
Upon completion of its assignment, the Group will submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Elections Commission and the principal political parties, before making it available to all Commonwealth Governments. It will then be made public.
The Group will be in Guyana until 19 May 2015. A four-member staff team from the Commonwealth Secretariat, led by Mr. Albert Mariner, Head, Caribbean/Pacific Section, Political Division, will provide technical support to the international observers.
The Commonwealth Observer Group members are:
• Hon Kate Wilkinson (Chairperson)
Former MP and Cabinet Minister, New Zealand
• Mrs. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu
Executive Director, West African Civil Society Institute, Ghana
• Dr. Noor Mohammad
Former Deputy Elections Commissioner, India
• Dr. Hume Johnson
Professor of Public Relations and Media Studies, Jamaica
• Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan
Chairperson, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Kenya
• Mrs. Rajwantee Bullock
Local Government Councillor, Trinidad and Tobago
• Mr. Raymond Whitaker
Writer and Editor, United Kingdom
