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‘We can only observe & give recommendations’- Elections Observer Mission
The mission is an independent team of 8 international observers and comprises parliamentarians, officials and analysts.
Speaking at a press conference that marked the official opening of the Observer Mission, today April 18, 2023, members of the team said the Elections Observer Mission (EOM) is here to only observe and make recommendations and will not interfere with the elections process.
The team is being led by Head of Mission Honourable Fatoumatta Njai NAM, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Republic of Gambia.
Njai emphasised that the organisation seeks to promote knowledge and understanding of constitutional, legislative, economical and social aspects of parliamentary democracy.
She said the team was invited by His Excellency Governor John J. Rankin CMG and the visit agreed upon by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and the Opposition Leader to observe the elections on Polling Day, April 24, 2023, as well as advanced Polling Day, April 20, 2023.
‘We are impartial’
Njai explained that this is the fourth time that a team from the organisation has been invited to observe and it has organised short-term election observation missions across 6 United Kingdom (UK) overseas territories since 2011.
She said they will also be joined by 3 short-term observers over the weekend to observe the proceedings on Polling Day.
“We should also bear in mind that we are impartial, we can only recommend and it is up to the people of the Virgin Islands to do the implementations. We cannot force them, we cannot impose on them. We can only observe and give our recommendations,” Njai emphasised.
This was also reemphasised by team member Anne Marlborough.
“We’re here to observe the election, we’re not here to participate in the process itself in any way. Our role is a passive one, we won’t be interfering with the process at all in any way. We have a consolidated methodology that governs our work…and we abide by the declaration of principles for international election observation. The CPA BIMR is a signatory, a party to this declaration of principles observed by election observers around the world,” she said.
Focus will be on ‘quality of election’- Anne Marlborough
Marlborough added that the team will act impartially, professionally and with integrity and will look at the legitimacy, inclusivity, transparency and credibility of the elections.
“It’s important to stress that our role isn’t one of assessment or comment about the politics, about the political outcome of this election. Instead, what we focus on is the quality of the election, the operational modalities of the election. We’re really looking at the conformity of the electoral process with the domestic and international frameworks that govern the elections here in the British Virgin Islands…We also look broadly at the legal and political context for the elections,” she added.
Additionally, team member Fleur Ten Hacken said the team will be meeting with key election stakeholders and a wide range of representatives, including civil society and will also attend election-related events.
She added that the preliminary findings will be shared just after election day and the final report published within 2 months of election day.
This, she explained, will also include recommendations on how the process can be improved.
She noted that the team has had the opportunity to interact with stakeholders prior to arrival and will continue during the visit.
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14 Responses to “‘We can only observe & give recommendations’- Elections Observer Mission”
The same Great Britain had our people in chains and beat them to death and that was alright: our people work to their death on those plantations
When slavery was no longer financially profitable to England they left the Virgin Islands and our people went from salves to what you see today
Marcus Messiah Garvey; Once said Black Man will never know himself until he back against the wall
Some wants to sweep those days of the whips and the chains under the rug while out in the hot sun cutting the sugar cane and picking the cotton