Former Senator Gideon Moi has landed a role as an election observer in Antigua and Barbuda for the country’s general election, scheduled for 18 January 2023.
Moi will be part of the team representing the Commonwealth Observer Group.
The team of observers will be led by former President of Seychelles Danny Faure.
The group was appointed by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in response to an invitation from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
“I thank Danny Faure for accepting my invitation to lead this group and each of the Commonwealth observers for agreeing to undertake this important assignment.
“The group, which is independent and impartial, will assess the overall conduct of the election and, at the end, make recommendations which will contribute towards strengthening the electoral process in Antigua and Barbuda,” the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
The group’s mandate is to observe the preparations for the election, the polling, counting, tabulation procedures and the overall electoral environment as well as consider any factors that could impinge upon the credibility of the process as a whole.
Prior to deployment, the group will also have briefings with the country’s political party representatives, police officers and several stakeholders, including officials from the Electoral Commission, the media and social society groups representing women, youth and people with disabilities.
The group will submit its recommendations in a report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will forward it to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the country’s Electoral Commission, the leadership of political parties taking part in the elections and all Commonwealth governments.
The report will be made public shortly after the election.
The team will be supported by a staff team from the Secretariat led by Prof Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Observer Group members
Danny Faure (Former President - Seychelles)
Gideon Moi (Politician and former Senator - Kenya)
MClare Keizer - (Journalist and Editor-in-Chief at Searchlight - St. Vincent and the Grenadines)
Baroness Denise Kingsmill CBE - (Member of the House of Lords - United Kingdom)
Patrick Kryticous Nshindano - (Public Policy and Election Expert and former Chief Election Officer - Zambia)