Latest content: Promoting Democracy

As dawn broke, people queued to exercise their democratic right to choose a president, members of parliament and local councillors

Malawians will go to the polls on 21 May to vote for a president, members of national assemblies and local councillors in the country’s tripartite elections. 

A Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) deployed to observe a referendum in Belize has described the vote as “credible, transparent and inclusive”.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has re-deployed a Commonwealth Observer Group to observe the referendum in Belize. The referendum was originally scheduled for 10 April, but subsequently postponed to 8 May 2019.

A Commonwealth group has been appointed to observe the 2019 Malawi Tripartite elections. It will be led by Thabo Mbeki, the second post-Apartheid South African President.

A Commonwealth Observer Group deployed to Belize to monitor a nationwide referendum has returned home after the vote was suspended.

A Commonwealth group observing Maldives’ 2019 parliamentary election has concluded the voting and counting process on election day was “peaceful and well organised”.

The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) in Honiara has commended the people of the Solomon Islands for “participating peacefully and in high numbers in their national general election”.

A Commonwealth group is observing Maldives’ 2019 parliamentary elections as the nation elects 87 members to parliament for the next five years. The former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, is chairing the group of eight Commonwealth observers.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has deployed a Commonwealth Observer Group to observe the referendum in Belize proposed for 10 April. The Observer Group is led by Hubert A Ingraham, former Prime Minister of The Bahamas, and is composed of ten specialists from across the Commonwealth with backgrounds in election management, law, gender, civil society, media, and politics.

A Commonwealth Observer Group is in Maldives to witness the country’s 11th parliamentary election, scheduled for 6 April.

A Commonwealth Observer Group is currently in Honiara ahead next week’s National General Election in the Solomon Islands. Over the past few days the Group has been meeting with key stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, women’s groups and youth representatives as well as the Election Commission.

Former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding will lead a Commonwealth group to observe Maldives Parliamentary Elections next month. Despite withdrawing from the Commonwealth in 2016, Maldives recently expressed an interest in re-joining. As part of this process, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has requested a group observe the vote, scheduled for 6 April.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland will deploy a team to observe the Solomon Islands National General Election to be held on 3 April 2019. The group will be led by Sato Kilman Livtuvanu, former Prime Minister of Vanuatu, and will comprise ten eminent persons drawn from across the regions of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth has partnered with Malawi’s Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and the 50:50 Campaign Malawi to prepare women candidates for campaigning ahead of elections on 21 May.

The Commonwealth Group observing Nigeria’s general election has concluded that despite difficulties faced during the vote, “for the most part, Nigerians had the opportunity to express their will and exercise their franchise.”

Millions of Nigerians turned out on Saturday 23 February to elect their President and National Assembly representatives, witnessed by Commonwealth election observers deployed around the country. In the lead up to election day, more than 72.7 million voters had collected their Personal Voting Cards required for voting from the Independent National Electoral Commission, amounting to 86.6 per cent of the registered electorate

Heads of international observation missions in Nigeria have called for calm in the nation, following the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the 2019 general elections due to logistical and operational challenges.

The Secretary-General has praised Nigeria's "steadfast commitment to the promotion of peace" in the run-up to Saturday's presidential election.

The Commonwealth Observer Group currently in Nigeria to witness the general elections will be deployed this Wednesday to various regions of the country, to observe preparations for polling day.

The former president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group for the general elections in Nigeria, scheduled for 16 February. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, constituted the observer group following an invitation from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Commonwealth, in partnership with the Malawi Electoral Commission, has invited media managers and editors from across Malawi to a workshop in Lilongwe. 

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, who recently visited Bangladesh for discussion with government and opposition parties, called on the Government and the Election Commission to provide a conducive environment for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections on 30 December 2018.

The organisations that observe elections around the world gathered at the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London for a two-day meeting to discuss best practice for observer missions.

The Commonwealth will host representatives from some of the leading organisations engaged in international election observation later this week.