Latest content: Promoting Democracy

A Commonwealth Observer Group is in Maldives to witness the country’s 11th parliamentary election, scheduled for 6 April.

A Commonwealth Observer Group is currently in Honiara ahead next week’s National General Election in the Solomon Islands. Over the past few days the Group has been meeting with key stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, women’s groups and youth representatives as well as the Election Commission.

Former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding will lead a Commonwealth group to observe Maldives Parliamentary Elections next month. Despite withdrawing from the Commonwealth in 2016, Maldives recently expressed an interest in re-joining. As part of this process, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has requested a group observe the vote, scheduled for 6 April.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland will deploy a team to observe the Solomon Islands National General Election to be held on 3 April 2019. The group will be led by Sato Kilman Livtuvanu, former Prime Minister of Vanuatu, and will comprise ten eminent persons drawn from across the regions of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth has partnered with Malawi’s Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and the 50:50 Campaign Malawi to prepare women candidates for campaigning ahead of elections on 21 May.

The Commonwealth Group observing Nigeria’s general election has concluded that despite difficulties faced during the vote, “for the most part, Nigerians had the opportunity to express their will and exercise their franchise.”

Millions of Nigerians turned out on Saturday 23 February to elect their President and National Assembly representatives, witnessed by Commonwealth election observers deployed around the country. In the lead up to election day, more than 72.7 million voters had collected their Personal Voting Cards required for voting from the Independent National Electoral Commission, amounting to 86.6 per cent of the registered electorate

Heads of international observation missions in Nigeria have called for calm in the nation, following the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the 2019 general elections due to logistical and operational challenges.

The Secretary-General has praised Nigeria's "steadfast commitment to the promotion of peace" in the run-up to Saturday's presidential election.

The Commonwealth Observer Group currently in Nigeria to witness the general elections will be deployed this Wednesday to various regions of the country, to observe preparations for polling day.

The former president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group for the general elections in Nigeria, scheduled for 16 February. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, constituted the observer group following an invitation from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Commonwealth, in partnership with the Malawi Electoral Commission, has invited media managers and editors from across Malawi to a workshop in Lilongwe. 

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, who recently visited Bangladesh for discussion with government and opposition parties, called on the Government and the Election Commission to provide a conducive environment for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections on 30 December 2018.

The organisations that observe elections around the world gathered at the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London for a two-day meeting to discuss best practice for observer missions.

The Commonwealth will host representatives from some of the leading organisations engaged in international election observation later this week.

A team of Commonwealth experts are in The Gambia to explore how the Commonwealth can support the country’s democratic and economic development, following its readmission as a member in February 2018.

The Commonwealth Observer Group deployed by the Secretary-General to observe Zimbabwe’s Harmonised Elections on 30 July has released its final report. They are the first elections the Commonwealth has observed in Zimbabwe in 16 years.

The ‘Ask The Expert’ series features the leading specialists who work at the Commonwealth Secretariat. In this edition, Yvonne Apea Mensah, Adviser and Head, Africa Section, Governance and Peace Directorate shares insights into how the Commonwealth is promoting democracy in member countries.

The Commonwealth Observer Group’s Report on Sierra Leone’s General Elections has been presented to the government, the National Electoral Commission, political parties and other stakeholders in the country.

Electoral officers in African Commonwealth countries have been learning how to improve the credibility, inclusiveness and transparency of the polling process.

Harare, 2 August.  Voting in Zimbabwe’s general elections had been largely peaceful and well-organised, according to Commonwealth observers on the ground.

The polls have opened in Zimbabwe in a harmonized election for president, parliament and local councils.  Commonwealth observers are monitoring every step of the process.

The Commonwealth Observer Group described Pakistan’s General Election as an ‘important milestone’ in the history of the nation, following two consecutive democratically-elected civilian governments completing their full terms.

The Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former Head of State of Nigeria, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, called on all registered voters in Pakistan to “come out en masse” to cast their votes today in the general elections.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, has expressed sadness and regret that there have been further incidents of election-related violence in Pakistan with loss of life and injury.