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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Former Prime Minister of Tanzania to lead Observers for Malawi Elections

7 May 2004

Commonwealth Secretary-GeneralDon McKinnon today announced that the Commonwealth Observer Group for the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in Malawiwill be led by Justice Joseph Warioba, former Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Elections are scheduled to be held on 18 May 2004.

Mr McKinnon said that the Observer Group has been established in response to an invitation from the Malawi Electoral Commission. The Group will consist of fourteen eminent Commonwealth citizens, supported by eight Commonwealth Secretariat staff. 

The Observers are as follows:

Justice Joseph Warioba Senator Alan Ferguson

Chairperson
Former Prime Minister
United Republic of Tanzania

Senator for South Australia and Chairman of the Joint Foreign Affairs, Defenceand Trade Committee
Australia
Begum Sarwari Rahman Hon Raynell Andreychuk
Former Minister and Member of Parliament
Bangladesh 		Senator
Canada
Ms Elizabeth SolomonMr Victor Ashby
Former Electoral Commissioner
Ghana 		Supervisor of Elections
Grenada
Ms Koki Muli Ms Justina Cumbe
Executive Director
Institute for Education in Democracy
Kenya 		Executive Director
Forum for Civic Education (FECIV)
Mozambique
Ambassador Olujimi JolaosoMs Nicolette Balcombe
Former Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Federal Republic of Nigeria 		Member, Commonwealth Caribbean
Youth Caucus
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Hon Wavel Ramkalawan MPMs Gugulethu Matlaopane
Leader of the Opposition
Seychelles 		Provincial Electoral Officer for Gauteng
South Africa
Mr Kingsley Rodrigo Mr Michael Holman
Executive Director
People's Action for Freeand Fair Elections (PAFFREL)
Sri Lanka 		Former Africa Editor,
Financial Times
United Kingdom

 

The Staff Support Team will be led by Professor Ade Adefuye, Special Adviser in the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The full Observer Group will start work on Monday 10 May 2004. Ms Muli has been present in Malawias an 'Advance Observer' since 4 May.
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

A press conference by the Commonwealth Observer Group will be held at the Le Meridien Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyreon Monday, 10 May at 10.00 am.

Commonwealth observers had been present in Malawi on two previous occasions this year, at the invitation of the Electoral Commission.  A Commonwealth Expert Team visited Malawiin February to observe the registration of voters and another was present in April to observe the display of the provisional register of electors.

The Commonwealth Secretary-Generalalso sent a Commonwealth Secretariat Assessment Missionin April.  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 44th 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-Generalat the request of the MalawiElectoral Commission. It is to observe relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections scheduled to take place on 18 May 2004, in accordance with the laws of Malawi. 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 Malawi, the Malawi Electoral Commission, the leadership of the political parties taking part in the elections and thereafter to all Commonwealth Governments.'

For media enquiries please contact Ms Geraldine Goh on +265(0) 8 379 719.

 

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