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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Former Prime Minister of Tanzania to lead Commonwealth Observer Group for Nigeria Elections

10 April 2007

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon today announced that the Commonwealth Observer Group for the forthcoming elections in Nigeria will be led by Justice Joseph Warioba, former Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on 21 April 2007, with Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections preceding them on 14 April.

Justice Warioba has previously led a Commonwealth Observer Group to Malawi, and also played a leading part in international election observer teams in Zambia, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Mr McKinnon said that the Observer Group has been established in response to an invitation from the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Independent National Electoral Commission. It will consist of eleven eminent persons, supported by seven Commonwealth Secretariat staff. The full list of Observers is:

Justice Joseph Warioba (Chair)
Former Prime Minister
United Republic of Tanzania		Mr Joseph Biribonwa
Commissioner, Electoral Commission of Uganda
Mr Omar Jallow
Acting Secretary-General & Party Leader
People’s Progressive Party
The Gambia		Dr Noor Mohammad
Former Deputy Election Commissioner
India
Mr Robert Patterson
Former Chief Electoral Officer
Government of British Columbia
Canada		Ms Kareen Payne
Regional Youth Caucus Representative
Antigua and Barbuda
Ms Sheila Roseau
Executive Director
Directorate of Gender Affairs
Antigua and Barbuda		Hon Nancy Tembo
Member of Parliament
Malawi
Mr Martin Tete
Principal Electoral Officer
Vanuatu		Mr Salvatore Rweyemamu
Regional Chair
Media Institute of Southern Africa
United Republic of Tanzania
Ms Kaye Oliver
Former Diplomat
United Kingdom		 

The Secretariat support staff will be led by Mr Amitav Banerji, Director in the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The Observers have been invited in their individual capacities and the views of the Group regarding the elections will be independent and not those either of their respective governments or of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Note to Editors

Advance observers will start work on 10 April 2007. An arrival statement will be issued on 13 April 2007.

An Assessment Mission from the Commonwealth Secretariat visited Nigeria in March 2007 and established that there was broad support in the country for the presence of Commonwealth Observers.

The Terms of Reference for the 2007 Observer Group are:

The Group is established by the Commonwealth Secretary-General at the request of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Independent National Electoral Commission. It is to observe relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the General Elections scheduled to take place on 14 and 21 April 2007, in accordance with the laws of Nigeria. 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 The Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Nigeria Independent Electoral Commission, , the leadership of the political parties taking part in the elections and thereafter to all Commonwealth Governments and the public.”

A Commonwealth Observer Group was present for Nigeria’s National Assembly and Presidential Elections in April 2003.

For media enquiries, please contact Julius Mucunguzi, Communications Officer on +44 79 222 99 809 or at +234 8 036 635 418 (after 10 April 2007) or via email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int

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