Latest content: Promoting Democracy

Commonwealth Secretary-General tells journalist Gabriella Jóźwiak of devex.com about her ambitious agenda for action

The head of Ghana’s election commission met senior officials from the Commonwealth Secretariat in London today to discuss preparations for the country’s general elections, to be held a little over a month away, on 7 December.

Commonwealth independent observers have described the 2016 general election in Nauru as ‘inclusive, transparent and competitive’. The election was held on the 9 July and the report has been published today.

Exactly a quarter of a century ago, on 20 October 1991, Commonwealth heads of government signed the historic Harare Commonwealth Declaration which defined the association’s fundamental political values.

October 1991: Commonwealth vows to safeguard democracy and human rights

Ministers from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) met at the United Nations today as part its regular discussions affecting the 53 nation states.

The president of Mozambique has invited the Secretary-General to visit his country. The invitation was made during a meeting of the two leaders at the UN General Assembly today.

HE Dr Jakaya Kikwete, Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Zambia’s General Elections and Referendum, urges calm and tolerance following the declaration of the results of the Presidential Elections.

The Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, HE Dr Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania says that the voting, closing and counting process following the Zambian General Elections and Referendum has been credible and transparent.

The Commonwealth Observer Group commends the people of the Republic of Zambia for the peaceful and orderly manner in which they exercised their right to vote on 11 August 2016.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has 48 hours from the close of polling stations to declare the winner of the country’s 2016 General Elections and Referendum.

The Commonwealth’s Special Adviser on Political Dialogue to Zambia has urged the country’s politicians and their followers to “stand united” and refrain from any acts or use of language which could incite electoral violence.

A spokesperson for the Commonwealth Observer Group to Zambia, Mr Kenneth Tsekoa, has urged the country’s people to play their part in ensuring peaceful and credible elections on Thursday 11 August 2016.

Full coverage as voters in Zambia go to the polls.

The Commonwealth will observe the upcoming general elections and national referendum in Zambia scheduled for 11 August 2016. The former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has announced Professor Ibrahim Gambari as her Special Adviser on Political Dialogue to support the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

“We congratulate Nauru for participating peacefully and in high numbers in their 2016 General Election.”

The Commonwealth Observer Mission has issued an interim statement following the general election in Nauru, providing an outline of its key findings as voting draws to a close and results are tabulated.

Statement by H.E. Anote Tong, Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Mission deployed to observe Nauru’s 2016 General Election.

Former President of Kiribati Anote Tong led a team of Commonwealth election observers to Nauru for the country’s general elections, scheduled for 9 July 2016.

Electoral commissions from thirty-nine countries have welcomed the announcement of a new Commonwealth compendium of good practice to assist member countries in delivering fair, credible and inclusive elections.

At the opening ceremony for the 2016 Commonwealth Electoral Network’s Biennial Conference, Deputy Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo spoke of democracy as a “work of constant evolution”, with election commissions bearing a leading responsibility to advance good electoral practices.

The heads of election commissions from across the Commonwealth will gather in Trinidad and Tobago next week for a major international conference aimed at advancing good practices and principles for elections.

The independent Commonwealth Observer Group has issued a report on the United Republic of Tanzania’s general elections of October 2015, which includes recommendations to boost the independence of electoral commissions in both Zanzibar and the mainland.