Commonwealth to observe Swaziland national elections

The Commonwealth is to send an observer mission to Swaziland for the country’s national elections scheduled for 20 September, 2013. Dr Bakili Muluzi, former President of the Republic of Malawi, will lead the Commonwealth Observer Mission.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma constituted the observer mission at the invitation of Swaziland’s Elections and Boundaries Commission. 

Commenting on the importance of the polls, Mr Sharma said: "The upcoming elections are an important step in Swaziland's democratic evolution. We hope they will be peaceful, and as inclusive as possible."

The observer mission’s mandate is to observe the preparations for the elections; the elections themselves, the counting of votes and the results process as a whole. Where appropriate, it will make recommendations for the future strengthening of the electoral framework in Swaziland. 

As with all Commonwealth observer missions, the team will be tasked to act impartially and independently, and to conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Elections Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

The mission’s will submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of Swaziland, the Elections and Boundaries Commission of Swaziland, political and civil society organisations, and eventually to all Commonwealth governments.

The Commonwealth Observer Mission will arrive in Swaziland on 15 September and stay until 25 September. A team from the Commonwealth Secretariat in London will support the mission. It will be led by Mr Linford Andrews, Interim Adviser, Commonwealth Electoral Network in the Secretariat’s Political Affairs Division. 

Composition of the Observer Mission

Chair: Dr Bakili Muluzi
Former President
Republic of Malawi 

Ms Alicia Swinamer
National Director, MYCommonwealth
Canada

Mrs Sa-adatu Maida
Election Commissioner
Ghana

Dr Curtis Michael Jacobs
Head of Centre
The University of the West Indies Open Campus Grenada
Trinidad and Tobago 

Media contact In Swaziland:

Linford Andrews
Interim Adviser
Political Affairs Division

Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: +26878249379