Election officials explore setting up support network

A group of senior election officials from nine Commonwealth countries met in London, UK, from 15 to 16 September 2009 to explore ways in which election management bodies in the Commonwealth could support one another.

They discussed, among other ideas, the establishment of a network that will enable them to share experiences, distil good practice and provide peer support across the Commonwealth.

The meeting convened by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma was attended by senior representatives from the election management bodies of Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, South Africa, the UK and Vanuatu.

It took place at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat's headquarters.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Mr Sharma said independent, impartial and effective electoral bodies which enjoy the trust of the people are critical institutions that underpin the credibility of elections and support the democratic process as a whole.

"If you want to give meaning to the political values and principles upon which the Commonwealth is built, the one organisation that truly serves that purpose is the election commission," Mr Sharma stated.

He said the feeling has been growing that sustainability is not just an issue that concerns the economy, but also the values upon which societies are run and governed politically.

The Secretary-General noted that one of the activities for which the Commonwealth is well known and respected is the observing of elections. The Commonwealth was also helping to build the capacity of electoral institutions in various ways. Against that background, he felt that a platform to enable election officials to share experiences and good practice across the diversity of the Commonwealth was important.

Mr Sharma said he hoped that the meeting would come out with a template for the establishment of a network of national election management bodies which could be presented to leaders for consideration when they next meet at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2009.

Secretariat Links:

• Democracy and Consensus Building