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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Expert Team returns to Maldives to observe rescheduled Elections

17 January 2005

A Commonwealth Expert Team, sent by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, will return to the Maldives on 18 January to observe the Parliamentary Elections, to be held on 22 January 2005

The Elections were to have been held on 31 December 2004, but were postponed following the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004.  The Commonwealth Expert Team which was present on that occasion departed the 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 members of the Team are:

HE Mr Cassam Uteem
Chairperson
Former President
Mauritius

 

Mr Andy Becker
Electoral Commissioner
Australia

 

Hon Mahi Choudhury MP
Member of Parliament
Bangladesh

 

Dr Hywel Francis MP
Member of Parliament
United Kingdom

 

Mrs Pratibha Rao
Director (Co-ordination)
Lok Satta (Foundation for Democratic Reforms)
India

 

 

The Team will be assisted by a staff support team of three led by Mr 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.

 Note to Editors:

The Expert Team's Terms of Reference are as follows:

"The Commonwealth Expert Team for the Maldives Parliamentary Elections shall observe the preparations for the election; 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."

The members of the Expert Team will remain in Maldives until Thursday, 27 January 2005. They have been invited in their individual capacities and the views they express regarding the elections will be their own and not those either of their respective Governments or of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

 For media enquiries please contact Shem Baldeosingh on + 960 826 368.

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