Commonwealth observers are to remain in Seychelles for the Second-Round of the Presidential Election scheduled for 16-18 December 2015.
The Group’s existing mandate is being extended to consider the pre-election, election days, and the immediate post-election day environments of the second round of the Presidential Election. On election days, the Group will observe the voting process, vote-counting procedures and the announcement of results, and assess these processes against the backdrop of international standards for democratic elections to which Seychelles has committed.
As with all Commonwealth Observer Groups, this mission will function with impartiality and independence, and will be guided by the standards enunciated in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
Composition of the Observer Group
The Commonwealth Observer Group will consist of three eminent persons supported by two Commonwealth Secretariat staff members. The members of the Group are:
- Mr Alvin Smith, former Speaker of the House of Assembly, and Vice-President of the Senate, The Bahamas
- Ms Susana Faletau, Lawyer and Former CEO of the Ministry of Justice, Tonga
- Kenneth Abotsi, Peace and Security Expert, Ghana
The Commonwealth Secretariat staff support team will be led by Mr Albert Mariner, Head, Caribbean and Pacific Section, Political Division.
Note to Editors:
Mr Alvin Smith and Ms Susana Faletau were both part of the Commonwealth Observer Group that arrived in Seychelles for the Presidential Election on 3-5 December 2015.
Mr Kenneth Abotsi, was part of an advance Commonwealth Observer team that was present in Seychelles from 15 November - 2 December 2015
On 7 December, Lord Sevele, Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, issued an Interim Statement on the preliminary findings of the first-round.
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For more on the work of the Commonwealth visit our website at www.thecommonwealth.org
