Wyvolyn Gager Patterson, a respected Jamaican journalist, will be part of the Commonwealth Observer Group, assigned to monitor the National and Provincial Elections in Mozambique on October 15.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma announced the Observer Mission, to be led by Hubert Ingraham, former Prime Minister of Bahamas on Monday.
The Secretary-General said: “These elections are being held at an important juncture in the history of Mozambique, particularly following the signing of a peace agreement one month ago. Conducting credible elections is a collective strength of Commonwealth member states, and our Charter recognises ‘the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live’. It is our hope that these elections will consolidate the democratic process in Mozambique. The Commonwealth will be present to witness and observe them, and to work in partnership with Mozambique towards strengthening and embedding good practice.”
Mr Sharma added: “The responsibility for conducting elections with integrity falls on all concerned - from the election management body, to political parties and their leaders, to civil society, security agencies, the media and the voters themselves. Each and every one has a rightful role to ensure a credible process and outcome.”
The other members of the Commonwealth Observer Mission are Michael Maley. Electoral Expert, Australia, Dorothy Limunga Njeuma, former Cabinet Minister and Board Member of Elections Cameroon, Cameroon, Kenneth Abotsi, Technical Advisor, SADC Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana, Dr Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner, India, Lilian Mahiri-Zaja, Vice-Chair of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Kenya, Giovanni Buttigieg, Electoral Expert, Malta, Elaine Trepper, former Mayor, Windhoek, Namibia, Ken Nnamani
Former Senate President, Nigeria, Aasiya Riaz, Deputy Director, PILDAT, Pakistan, Maiava Visekota Peteru, Member of Parliament, Lawyer, Samoa, Papama Nomboniso Gasa, Researcher and Analyst on Gender, South Africa, Gerald Karuhanga, Member of Parliament – Youth, Uganda, and Henry Hogger, former Diplomat, United Kingdom
The observer group will consider the pre-electoral environment and election preparations. On Election Day, it will observe the voting process, vote-counting procedures and the announcement of results, in the light of international standards for democratic elections, to which the country has committed.
The Commonwealth Observer Group will submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of Mozambique, the National Electoral Commission, Mozambique’s political parties and eventually to all Commonwealth governments.
The 15-member Commonwealth Observer Group will be in Mozambique from 9 to 21 October 2014. A six-member Commonwealth Secretariat team will support the Group, led by Martin Kasirye, Adviser and Head of Electoral Support.
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