Ahead of the December 6 general election, a Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) will be deployed to observe the polls in Dominica following an invitation from Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
The five-member group of observers that consisted of Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, will be led by Kenya’s former cabinet secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture and former cabinet secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amina Mohammed.
“The Commonwealth has a long and proud history of standing in solidarity with citizens as they prepare to choose their leaders. Under the chairmanship of Amina Mohammed, I firmly believe that the observer group will provide an informed, comprehensive, and impartial assessment of the electoral process,” Scotland said in a statement.
The observer group is scheduled to arrive November 30 and stay until the completion of the electoral process.
During their stay, which will see them deployed throughout the country, they will be supported by a team from the Commonwealth Secretariat led by the adviser and Head of Europe in the Governance and Peace Directorate, Chantal Sciberras.
The COG will observe all aspects of the election process – from the opening of polling stations and the voting process to the counting of ballots and announcement of results – and determine whether the elections are conducted in line with international standards as well as the domestic democratic standards to which Dominica has committed itself.
They will also meet and hold briefings with stakeholders, including election management officials, representatives of political parties, civil society groups, the media, and other key stakeholders.
As per the COG’s mandate, observers will act impartially and will adhere to the standards of the Commonwealth Guidelines for the Observation of Elections as well as the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
Two days after election day, the observer group will issue an interim statement outlining its initial findings.
A final report, which will include the assessment of the electoral process and a set of recommendations for reforms to improve future elections, will be presented to the Government of Dominica, the Electoral Office, and other stakeholders, before being made public.
The group will then leave the island by December 11.
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