The 51-member Commonwealth has sent a high profile mission to observe Mozambique’s elections on the 28th of October headed by former Sierra Leone President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the group said in a statement on Monday.
The statement said the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) will be present during Mozambique’s presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections.
The Group was constituted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at the invitation of Mozambique through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Oldemiro Baloi.
“This is an important election and provides the people of Mozambique with an opportunity to consolidate the democratic gains they have made”, the Secretary-General said in the statement.
The Group’s mandate is to observe the preparations for the election ; the polling, counting and results process and the overall electoral environment.
The team will also assess the overall conduct of the process and, where appropriate, make recommendations for the future strengthening of the electoral process in Mozambique.
The Commonwealth Group said it will act impartially and independently and shall conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
The Group’s report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the government of Mozambique, the National Election Commission of Mozambique and political parties, and eventually to all Commonwealth governments.
Source African Press Agency
