A Commonwealth Observer Group is in Trinidad and Tobago to observe the country's 28 April Parliamentary polls.
The Group is led by the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Malta Evarist Bartolo.
He is joined by 5 other experts from across the Commonwealth, bringing a diverse range of experience in electoral management, law, civil society, politics, human rights and the media.
Commonwealth Observer Groups (COGs)
The Commonwealth Secretariat is one of the original signatories to the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.
In addition, Commonwealth Observer Groups abide by the Commonwealth’s Revised Guidelines for the Conduct of Election Observation in Member Countries, which were adopted at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in 2018.
These stipulate that:
COGs are “independent, including of the Secretariat. Members of a COG are invited by the Secretary-General to be a part of the team, and each member is invited in their personal capacity as an eminent Commonwealth citizen, not as a representative of any member country, government, or political group”.
More information on the role and mandate of observers can be found in the Commonwealth Handbook on Election Observation.
Interim Press Conference
The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Trinidad and Tobago Parliamentary elections 2025, will hold a press conference on 29 April in Port of Spain. Email [email protected] to be included in our media alerts.
Latest news
Flicker Album
Photos from the Trinidad Parliamentary Election 2025 are available to view in our Flickr gallery.
Members of the Commonwealth Observer Group
Chairperson: Hon Evarist Bartolo, former Foreign Affairs Minister of Malta
The Commonwealth Observer Group members, in alphabetical order by country name, are:
- Ian Anthony Micheals, Former Chief Elections Officer, Dominica
- Ms Nazima Raghubir - Journalist, Guyana
- Mr Orrette Tyndale Fisher - Election Management Expert, Jamaica
- Mr Aiman Rasheed - Deputy Program Director, International Republican Institute, Maldives
- Ms Winnie Anna Kiap – Chair, Commonwealth Foundation, Papua New Guinea
