Makeup of an Observer Group

After receiving a request from a member government, the Commonwealth Secretary-General ensures that each observer group comprises a blend of politicians, electoral officials, civil society, the media, the judiciary, gender and youth so that various skills are represented and the necessary support reaches the entire country.

The Youth representative in the 2007 Sierra Leone elections was Ahmed Mahloof, who is Deputy Chair of the Commonwealth Asia Regional Youth Caucus. Part of his work involved speaking to young people about their thoughts on the election.

“In every country the future is in the hands of young people. They have a vision for their future, so it is crucial that they decide who they want. The people in Sierra Leone hope they can get a better life and because of the way the elections were run, the promise of that better life can now be realised for them.”