{"id":166941,"date":"2023-01-05T13:42:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T17:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=166941"},"modified":"2023-01-05T13:42:32","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T17:42:32","slug":"commonwealth-team-to-observe-antigua-and-barbudas-2023-general-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commonwealth-team-to-observe-antigua-and-barbudas-2023-general-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonwealth team to observe Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s 2023 general election"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, will lead a team of Commonwealth election observers to Antigua and Barbuda for the country\u2019s general election, scheduled for 18 January 2023.<\/p>

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Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland KC, announced the composition of the Commonwealth Observation Group today in response to an invitation from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.<\/p>\n

Election day will see voters asked to choose constituency representatives to the House of Representatives.<\/p>

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In a statement, the Secretary-General said: \u201cI thank Danny Faure for accepting my invitation to lead this group and each of the Commonwealth observers for agreeing to undertake this important assignment.<\/p>

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\u201cThe group, which is independent and impartial, will assess the overall conduct of the election and, at the end, make recommendations which will contribute towards strengthening the electoral process in Antigua and Barbuda.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s mandate is to observe the preparations for the election, the polling, counting, tabulation procedures and the overall electoral environment as well as consider any factors that could impinge upon the credibility of the process as a whole.<\/p>

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Prior to deployment, the group will also have briefings with the country\u2019s political party representatives, police officers and several stakeholders, including officials from the Electoral Commission, the media and social society groups representing women, youth and people with disabilities.<\/p>\n

The group will submit its recommendations in a report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will forward it to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the country\u2019s Electoral Commission, the leadership of political parties taking part in the elections and all Commonwealth governments. The report will be made public shortly after this.<\/p>

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The group comprises five eminent persons from across the Commonwealth. They will be supported by a staff team from the Secretariat led by Prof Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. The group is expected to arrive in Saint John\u2019s on 14 January 2023.<\/p>

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The Commonwealth Observer Group members are:<\/p>\n