Former Prime Minister of St Lucia to Lead Observers for Mozambique Elections
19 November 2004
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon today announced that the Commonwealth Observer Group for the Presidential Election in Mozambique will be led by Dr Vaughan Lewis, former Prime Minister of St Lucia. The Election is scheduled to be held on 1st and 2nd December 2004 .
Mr McKinnon said that the Observer Group has been established in response to an invitation from the Comissão Nacional de Eleições (National Electoral Commission). The Group will consist of 10 eminent Commonwealth citizens, supported by six Commonwealth Secretariat staff. The Observers are as follows:
Dr Vaughan Lewis Chairperson Former Prime Minister St Lucia | Mr Gilbert Ahnee Editor-in-Chief Le Mauricien Mauritius |
Hon Hamat Bah MP Leader National Reconciliation Party The Gambia | Ms Audrey Gadzekpo Lecturer School of Communication Studies University of Ghana Ghana |
Ms Jane Michuki Advocate of the High Court and Board Member of the Institute for Education in Democracy Kenya | Honourable Justice John Zwibili Mosojane Chairman Independent Electoral Commission Botswana |
Mr Bernard Narokobi Former Speaker of the National Parliament Papua New Guinea | Dr Steve Surujbally Chairman Election Commission Guyana |
Ms Fipe Tuitubou Member, Commonwealth Pacific Regional Youth Caucus Fiji Islands | Mr John Wilde Former High Commissioner to Botswana and Gambia United Kingdom |
The Staff Support Team will be led by Professor Ade Adefuye, Head of the Africa Section, Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The full Observer Group will start work on Tuesday 23 November 2004 , when it will hold a press conference at 11.00 am at the Hotel Avenida in Maputo . The 'Advance Observer', Mr Elijah Rubvuta, the Executive Director of the Foundation for Democratic Process in Zambia , started work in Mozambique on 15 November 2004 .
The Observers 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.
Note to Editors:
The Commonwealth Secretary-General sent a Commonwealth Secretariat Assessment Mission to Mozambique in October 2004. This established that there would be broad support from the political parties and civil society for the presence of Commonwealth Observers.
This will be the 46 th Observer Group to have been constituted by Commonwealth Secretaries-General since October 1990. The Terms of Reference for the Observer Group are:
"The Group is established by the Commonwealth Secretary-General at the request of the Comissão Nacional de Eleições. It is to observe relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections which are scheduled to take place on 1 and 2 December 2004 , in accordance with the laws of Mozambique . It is to consider the various factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole and to determine in its own judgement whether the conditions exist for a free expression of will by the electors and if the results of the elections reflect the wishes of the people.
The Group is to act impartially and independently. It has no executive role; its function is not to supervise but to observe the process as a whole and to form a judgement accordingly. It would also be free to propose to the authorities concerned such action on institutional, procedural and other matters as would assist the holding of such elections.
The Group is to submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will forward it to the Government of Mozambique , the Comissão Nacional de Eleições, the leadership of the political parties taking part in the elections and thereafter to all Commonwealth Governments."
For media enquiries please contact Mwambu Wanendeya from 22 November 2004 on + 258 82 33 18 34 (mobile) or at the Hotel Avenida on +258 1 492000.
04/71 19 November 2004
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