Former foreign minister, Francine Baron, has been named as part of a Commonwealth Observer Group that will be observing the upcoming general election in the African country of Mozambique.
The group is led by Dr Kenny Anthony, former prime minister of Saint Lucia, and will be in Mozambique from October 1-15, to observe the opening, voting, closing, counting, and results management processes of the October 9, elections which will be presidential, national and provincial.
The team was announced in London by Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, who acknowledged the Mozambique National Election Commission’s invitation to observe the polls.
“Mozambique is a valued member of the Commonwealth family, and this election observation exercise is testament to our commitment to supporting them,” she said. “As a pioneer in international election observation, the Commonwealth has an important history of promoting electoral integrity, having observed more than 200 elections in over 40 countries since this vital work began. In this critical year for democracy around the world, our mission in Mozambique carries particular significance. I am confident that our observers will excel in upholding the highest standards of election observation, believing that the people of Mozambique can exercise their right to shape their country’s future through credible, inclusive, and transparent elections, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.”
Dr Anthony said it was an honor to accept and a privilege to be asked to lead the Commonwealth mission.
“I am grateful to be joined by eleven experts selected from across the Commonwealth who bring together a diversity of experience, in the fields of elections, law, civil society, politics, human rights, and the media, amongst others,” he said.
According to the Commonwealth Secretariat when the observers arrive on October 1, they will meet key stakeholders, including the election management body, political parties, civil society groups, media, the diplomatic community, and other international and citizen observers.
It said from October 7, observers will deploy in small teams to each of the provinces to observe electoral preparations and meet with local stakeholders in their respective locations.
“On election day, the Group will observe the opening, voting, closing, counting and the results management processes, and will then issue an interim statement on its preliminary findings on 11 October 2024,” the Secretariat said.
“The observers have been mandated to observe and consider factors affecting the credibility of the electoral process as a whole and to judge whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Mozambique has committed itself, including legislation and relevant regional, Commonwealth, and international commitments.”
The Commonwealth Observer Group members, in alphabetical order by country name, are:
-Francine Baron, Former Foreign Minister, Dominica
-Pauline Welsh, former Director of Legal Affairs, Electoral Office of Jamaica, Jamaica
-Charles Keter, former Senator and Minister, Kenya
-Dr Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana, Commissioner, Independent Electoral Commission,
Lesotho
-Professor Danwood Chirwa, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, Malawi
-Beverly Joeman, human rights activist and former Vice Chair of the Election Committee of
the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), Malaysia
-Zainab Bala, policy communication specialist and journalist, Nigeria
-‘Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki, gender expert, founder of Women's Action Group for Change and
filmmaker, Tonga
-Alan Kasujja, host, Africa Daily Podcast, BBC News Uganda
-Dr Alex Vines, Director, Africa Program, Chatham House, United Kingdom
-Muleta Kapatiso, activist, lawyer, and development practitioner, Zambia
The Commonwealth has always observed general elections in Dominica. After the last general election in December 2022, during which the Dominica Labour Party led by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, won, the Commonwealth Observer Mission concluded that it reflected “the collective will” of Dominican voters.
no wonder these people can’t openly say the election in Dominica is not free and fair. you are employing one of the engineers of stolen election in Dominica.
what are becoming of these institutions
Of all people? WTF Mamselle know about fair elections?
I don’t have any confidence in them ppl….those ppl are not partial at all…it’s like the rat 🐀 guarding the cheese 🧀….
These missions are nothing more than joy rides and excursions. The cheating and treating are done well before election day. The bribery, intimidation, fraudulent ballots, monopoly of the media by those in power.
The money spent on these futile missions can be better used by the Commonwealth for so many other needs -(medicine, education, agriculture) etc.
The selection of Francine Baron seems to be an obvious case of scratching each other’s back.
Ugly like her generation. Stuck up woman. Always believe she is more than everyone.
The blue media whore or Lennox Linton should be invited.They know more about election than anybody in the world.The media whore and Linton think they can win election on q95 with a holes like Blessings and Blue-blue and on DNO with me,Hmmmm,Ibo and MEME.
@Lin Clown
I accidentally gave you a thumbs Up my friend. So subtract one. I am now ashamed of myself.
@Lin Clown
One thing is certain Hmmmmmm, Ibo France and MEME can write exquisitely well. Why can’t you at least learn a word from each one of them every day?
ADMIN, is this the same lady that was front and center of the electoral reform consultations last year and just disappeared?
quid pro quo