Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former president of Nigeria, will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to Tanzania’s General Elections scheduled for 25 October 2015.
Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former president of Nigeria, will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to Tanzania’s General Elections scheduled for 25 October 2015.
The 14 member team of observers was constituted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at the invitation of the Government of Tanzania, and following the visit of a pre-election assessment team to the country in July 2015.
The Secretary-General said: “Tanzania is an active and dedicated Commonwealth member, with whom the Commonwealth has enjoyed a longstanding and fruitful relationship. The Commonwealth stands in solidarity with its people as they exercise their right to choose leaders who will advance the country’s democratic and development gains.”
Commonwealth observers will assess the various factors affecting the credibility of the electoral process as a whole. They will consider the pre-electoral environment, the voting process, counting and tabulation procedures and the announcement of results.
The group is independent and will determine in its own judgement whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards to which Tanzania has committed itself, with reference to its own election-related legislation as well as relevant regional, Commonwealth and international commitments.
Observers will act impartially and will adhere to the standards of the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
The Group will submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will thereafter send it to the Government of Tanzania, the National Electoral Commission, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission, political parties and all Commonwealth governments. It will then be made public.
The Commonwealth Observer Group will arrive in Tanzania on 19 October 2015, and will be supported by a five-member staff team from the Commonwealth Secretariat. The arrival of the 14 member Group was preceded by a two-member team of advance observers who have been in the country since 7 October.
The Commonwealth Observer Group members are:
Chair: Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Former President of the Federal Nigeria
Mr Albert Bwire
Commissioner, Independent Elections and Boundaries Commissions, Kenya
Ms Keireng Zuze
Deputy Secretary, Independent Electoral Commission, Botswana
Dr Lisa Vasciannie
Lecturer, International Relations, Department of Government, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Hon Winnie Laban
Former Minister and Member of Parliament, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika), New Zealand
Ms Sylvia Lim
Member of Parliament, Singapore
Prof St John Bates
Barrister, United Kingdom
Amb Bernadette Olowo-Freers
Former Ambassador, Uganda
Amb Neelam Deo
Former Ambassador, India
Ms Terry Dale Ince
Project Manager, Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women, Trinidad and Tobago
Mr Dalbir Singh
Former Chair of Asia Region, Commonwealth Youth Programme, Malaysia
Mr Alexander Rheeney
Editor, Post Courier, Papua New Guinea
Mr Rohana Hettiarachchi
Director, People Action for Free and Fair Elections,Sri Lanka
Ms Margaret Shava
Lawyer and Human Rights Expert, Kenya
Advance Observer Team Leader
Dr Victor Shale
Electoral Expert
South Africa
