Commonwealth to observe elections in Belize

A Commonwealth Expert Team will observe the 7 February 2008 elections in Belize, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon announced today.

Mr McKinnon said that the Team of three, supported by three Commonwealth Secretariat staff, will be led by Mr K D Knight, former Foreign Minister of Jamaica.

The Team will be in Belize from 1 February to 12 February 2008 and has been constituted at the invitation of the Government of Belize.

The full composition of the Commonwealth Expert Team is:

• Mr K D Knight, Former Foreign Minister of Jamaica
• Dr Nemata Eshun-Baiden, founder and First President of the 50/50 Group, a civil society organisation in Sierra Leone
• Mr. Robert Patterson, former Chief Electoral Officer of British Colombia, Canada

The Secretariat support staff team will be led by Juliet Solomon, Head of Caribbean/Pacific Section in the Political Affairs Division.

"The Commonwealth is very pleased to have been invited to these elections and to send a team to Belize for the first ever time. These are important elections for the country and the fact that people will at the same time be voting in a referendum on whether or not to elect the Senate, is also highly significant," Mr McKinnon said.

The Secretary-General added that the mandate of the Team is to observe preparations for the election; the polling, counting and results process; and the overall electoral environment.

Prior to their departure from Belize, the Team will submit a report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, assessing the overall conduct of the process and making appropriate recommendations for future strengthening of the electoral process in Belize.

The Expert Team will act impartially and independently and shall conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

Note to editors:

For media inquiries, please contact:

In Belize: Ms Julie Broadbent, Political Affairs Officer, Democracy Section, on Tel: +501 625 1597 or e-mail: j.broadbent@commonwealth.int

In London: Mr Julius Mucunguzi, Communications Officer and Acting Assistant Spokesperson for the Caribbean on e-mail: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int or Tel: +44 78 94 59 35 171.

Key Links:

• Country Profile: Belize
• Democracy