Commonwealth Expert Team returns to Maldives to observe rescheduled Elections
19 January 2005
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| The Commonwealth Expert Team, sent by the Secretary-General, to Maldives |
The elections were to have been held on 31 December 2004, but were postponed following the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December. The Commonwealth Expert Team, which was present on that occasion, departed Maldives on 30 December.
The experts will be briefed in the capital, Malé, and will then observe preparations for the elections, the polling, counting and results process, and the overall electoral environment.
The Team is chaired by Cassam Uteem, former President of Mauritius. Its other members are: Andy Becker, Electoral Commissioner, Australia; Mahi Choudhury, MP, Bangladesh; Dr Hywel Francis, MP, United Kingdom; and Pratibha Rao, Director (Co-ordination), Lok Satta (Foundation for Democratic Reforms), India. They will be assisted by a three-person staff support team led by Syed Sharfuddin, Special Adviser (Asia) in the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The decision to send the Commonwealth Expert Team follows an invitation from the Government of Maldives. The Team's terms of reference are as follows:
"The Commonwealth Expert Team for the Maldives Parliamentary Elections shall observe the preparations for the elections; the polling, counting and results process; and the overall electoral environment. The Expert Team will report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General with recommendations, if appropriate, for Commonwealth technical assistance. The Secretary-General will in turn send the Team's report to the Government of Maldives, the Commissioner of Elections, other interested parties in the Maldives and Commonwealth Governments. It will then be made public."
CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 218 19 January 2005
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