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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Expert Group to Review Papua New Guinea’s Electoral Process

23 October 2002

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon announced today that he has constituted a Commonwealth Expert Group to examine the electoral process in Papua New Guinea.

"I have established this Commonwealth Expert Group in consultation with the Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare," said the Secretary-General. "The Group will examine Papua New Guinea's electoral arrangements and the issues arising from them. It will make recommendations for the future conduct of elections in the country.

"The Expert Group is led by a former head of state and consists of very experienced and senior election officials. I am confident that it will be able to assist Papua New Guinea in its efforts to improve the conduct of its elections," Mr McKinnon said.

The Group will arrive in Papua New Guinea on 27 October and depart on 6 November 2002. It will produce a report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will bring it to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Electoral Commissioner of Papua New Guinea.

The five members of the Expert Group are as follows:

Mr Ieremia Tabai (Chairman), Former President, Kiribati
Mr Ian Dickson, Former Electoral Commissioner, New South Wales, Australia
Mr Robert Patterson, Former Chief Election Officer, British Columbia, Canada
Mr Victor Ashby, Supervisor of Elections, Grenada
Mr Sayan Chatterjee, Deputy Election Commissioner, India

The Expert Group will be assisted by Mr Jeremy Clarke-Watson, Senior Programme Officer, Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Note to Editors:

All enquiries regarding the Group during this time should be addressed to Mr Jeremy Clarke-Watson at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on telephone +675 3093000.

Elections expertise of this kind is provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat to member countries as requested. Countries which have recently invited Commonwealth election experts include Malawi, St Lucia and the United Republic of Tanzania.
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