Danny Faure, former president of Seychelles and leader of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s election observer mission in Antigua and Barbuda has encouraged voters to participate in the democratic process of selecting a new government today.
In meetings with the press following the Commonwealth team’s arrival last week, Faure noted that a nation’s ability to choose its government as part of a democratic process is a most important human right.
“The importance of the elections in a democracy as the ultimate expression of the will of the people cannot be understated.
“Casting a vote is a fundamental human right and we hope the citizens of Antigua and Barbuda will keenly exercise this right on elections day.”
He also commented on the seriousness of the job that his observer team, and the four others monitoring today’s elections, are undertaking.
“The task we have been given is one we take seriously and will undertake solemnly in compliance with international standards for the conduct of international observers.”
The election observer teams from the Commonwealth, CARICOM and the Organisation of American States all arrived in Antigua and Barbuda last week. Their duties commenced on Monday as they held extensive meetings with all stakeholders in today’s elections and travelled throughout the county’s seventeen constituencies to observe preparations for the election.
Today, the overseas observers will continue their duties, joined by national observer organisations, the Free and Fair Elections League and United Evangelical Alliance.
Following the election, they will submit preliminary reports on their observations of the conduct of today’s elections.
Detailed written reports will be submitted at a later date.
