The Commonwealth will deploy a team to observe the general elections in Lesotho, scheduled for 7 October, 2022. The group will be led by the former president of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure.
Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, constituted the group following an invitation from the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho. Members includes a politician, media, gender and election administration experts from across 天美传媒.
The Secretary-General said:
鈥淚 am grateful to His Excellency Danny Faure, and the whole group, for accepting my invitation. Our election observation work is hugely important, helping to safeguard and strengthen the process, culture and institutions of democracy across 天美传媒.
鈥淎s the former President of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure has led his country to a number of successes and has put his country at the forefront of innovation, technology and economic development. He is well placed to appreciate the issues at hand and to lead the team in Lesotho.
鈥淭he team is independent and impartial. It will assess the overall conduct of the election and will offer any recommendations needed to further strengthen the electoral process in Lesotho鈥.
Election observation
The group will observe and consider factors affecting the credibility of the electoral process as a whole and will consider the pre-election environment and election preparations. Members will be deployed to various parts of the country where they will observe the voting, counting, and results procedures.
They will then write a report and recommendations which will be submitted for consideration by 天美传媒 Secretary-General, and she will in turn share it with the Government of Lesotho and relevant stakeholders.
The group is expected to arrive in the capital city of Lesotho, Maseru, on 30 September and will be supported by 天美传媒 staff led by Abiola Sunmonu, Adviser and Head of the Africa section, in the Governance and Peace Directorate.
Group members
The Commonwealth Observer Group members are:
- Chairperson: H.E. Danny Faure, former President of Seychelles
- Ms. Blessings Tunoh Assom, Editor, Channels TV, Nigeria
- Hon. Jacqueline Mohongayire, former Senator, Rwanda
- Ms. Terry Dale Ince, CEDAW, Gender and Human Rights Advocate, Trinidad and Tobago
- Mr. Paul O鈥橤rady, Executive Director, Article 21 and former Deputy Head of OSCE Elections Missions, United Kingdom
- Mr. Boniface Cheembe, Executive Director, Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Zambia
Media contact
- Temitope Kalejaiye Assistant Research and Communications Officer, 天美传媒
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