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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretariat releases Expert Team Report on Swaziland National Elections

5 November 2003

The Commonwealth Secretariat today releases the report of an independent Expert Team which was sent to Swaziland for the National Elections held on 18 October.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon welcomed the Expert Team's report. He said: "This report provides a balanced assessment of the shortcomings and successes of the electoral process. I hope that its recommendations can help those who manage elections in Swaziland for the future.

"The report also sets these elections in a wider political context, arguing in particular for an appropriate transfer of power from the King to the Parliament and the Government and for freedom of association. I will be pursuing all these points with His Majesty King Mswati III and the Government as our dialogue on political reform in Swaziland continues".


Note to editors:

The presence of the Expert Team followed an invitation from the Government of Swaziland. It observed preparations for the elections, the polling, counting and results process and the overall electoral environment. The members of the mission were:

Hon David Thompson MP (Team Leader) Ms Angela Odah
Member of Parliament and Co-ordinator
former Leader of the Opposition Transition Monitoring Group
Barbados Federal Republic of Nigeria


Hon Hilary Mkatte
Member, National Electoral Commission
United Republic of Tanzania


The members of the Expert Team began work on 10 October and remained in Swaziland until 23 October. Their report was then submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who subsequently sent it to the Acting Prime Minister and Chief Electoral Officer of Swaziland and to Commonwealth Governments. It was placed on the Commonwealth Secretariat website on 5 November 2003. Printed copies are also available.

The members of the Team were invited in their individual capacities and it was made clear in advance that the views they expressed regarding the elections would be their own and not those either of their respective Governments or of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

This was the second Commonwealth Expert Team to have been sent to Swaziland for these elections: a three-person mission was present in July 2003 to observe voter registration.

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