Profile: Juliette Maughan, member of the Commonwealth Observer Group for Tanzania’s elections

Barbados-born Juliette Maughan is one of 15 experienced people who make up the Commonwealth team, which are observing the General Elections in Tanzania.

Ms Maughan brings a wealth of experience to the Commonwealth Observer Group, having worked in research, operations and logistics management for both government and non-governmental organisations.

Ms Maughan has worked with the Department of Electoral Co-operation and Observation at the Organization of American States in Washington DC, and served as a member of the organisation’s international electoral observation missions in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

She said that her selection to the Commonwealth Observer mission reaffirms the message that young people have something to offer. “The inclusion of a young person in this process is essential and I applaud the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat in this regard.”

Ms Maughan said that being a part of the Commonwealth Group will build on her existing knowledge of electoral procedures and will help to deepen her overall understanding of governance and the various roles different actors have to play in different societies.

Speaking before the elections, she said: “I am looking forward to learning more about the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat in strengthening democracy in the Commonwealth and I also hope to deepen my existing knowledge and understanding of electoral procedures and practices in a new environment.

“It is a privilege to share in the experience of elections and the overall political culture in Tanzania.

“As a young person, I am very excited to see how the youth of Tanzania mobilise themselves during elections and what roles they play in the process. What I understand of the youth on the African continent as a whole is that they often find very creative solutions to address challenges - and also in how they engage in the governance of their countries. I am looking forward to learning of creative approaches that can be shared with the youth of my region in the Caribbean.”

Key Links:

• Our work: Democracy and Consensus Building
• Country Profile: United Republic of Tanzania