A former foreign minister from Ghana, Hanna Tetteh, will lead a team of Commonwealth election observers to The Bahamas for the country’s general election later this month.
This is the first time the Commonwealth will observe elections to The Bahaman parliament. The general election is scheduled for 10 May 2017.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland announced the make up of the observer group after receiving an invitation from the Government of The Bahamas.
“I’m delighted that former foreign minister, Hanna Tetteh, has accepted my invitation to lead the Commonwealth Observer Group. Her experience will be a real asset in this important assignment,” said Secretary-General Scotland. “In offering their assessment on the conduct of the election and the overall credibility of the process, the Group will be contributing to enhancing democracy in The Bahamas.”
The observers will consider all aspects of the electoral process and assess whether the election has been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which the Commonwealth of The Bahamas has committed itself.
The Group will be in The Bahamas between 4 and 13 May 2017 inclusive. The last general election was held in May 2012.
Composition of the Group:
Hanna Tetteh (Chairperson)
Former minister of foreign affairs and former minister of industry and trade
The Republic of Ghana
Elvin Bailey
Supervisor of elections
St Kitts and Nevis
Lebrechtta Hesse-Bayne
Gender specialist
Antigua and Barbuda
Enrico Woolford
Chairman of the National Communications Network
Guyana
Media Contact
Barnie Choudhury
Director Media and Public Relations
Communications Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
T. +44 (0) 20 7747 6382
M. +44 (0) 7436 034785
E. b.choudhury@commonwealth.int
Notes to Editors
The Group will be supported by Dr Tres-Ann Kremer (+1242 4466 582; t.kremer@commonwealth.int) and Clara Cole (+1242 4466 583;c.cole@commonwealth.int) from the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Commonwealth observers act impartially and independently and conduct themselves according to the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
Where appropriate, the Group may make recommendations for the future strengthening of the electoral framework.
The Group will submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General. She in turn will send it to the government ofThe Bahamas, the Parliamentary Commissioner, political parties and all Commonwealth governments before it is made public.
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