Commonwealth Democracy Experts to observe Maldives Parliamentary Elections

A team of democracy experts, which has been sent by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon for the Maldives Parliamentary Elections, begins work on Thursday, 23 December 2004. The experts are:

Mr Uteem will lead the Team, which will be assisted by a staff support team of three led by Mr Syed Sharfuddin, Special Adviser in the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The experts will be briefed in the capital, Malé, by the Commissioner of Elections, election candidates, representatives of civil society, Commonwealth diplomats and other election observers. The Team has been asked by the Secretary-General to observe preparations for the Parliamentary Elections, the polling, counting and results process and the overall electoral environment.

The decision to send the Commonwealth Expert Team follows an invitation from the Government of Maldives.

Note to Editors:

The Expert Team's Terms of Reference are as follows:

"The Commonwealth Expert Team for the Maldives Parliamentary Elections shall observe the preparations for the election; the polling, counting and results process; and the overall electoral environment. The Expert Team will report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General with recommendations, if appropriate, for Commonwealth technical assistance. The Secretary-General will in turn send the Team's report to the Government of the Maldives, the Commissioner of Elections, other interested parties in the Maldives and Commonwealth Governments. It will then be made public."

The members of the Expert Team will remain in Maldives until Thursday, 6 January 2005. The members of the Expert Team 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. For media enquiries please contact Shem Baldeosingh on + 960 862 804