Observers to arrive one week ahead of poll
(CNS): The mission to observe the Cayman Islands 22 May General Elections will arrive in Cayman on 15 May and stay until the 29 MAy. The six man team, led by Mario Galea, a Member of Parliament in Malta, will include Senator Philip Ozouf from Jersey; Margaret Mitchell, MSP from Scotland; Randolph Horton, MP from Bermuda; Fern Narcis, a Legal Officer from Trinidad and Tobago; and Juanita Barker, a Legal Officer from Guyana. Prior to Election Day the team will observe some of the mobile voting and on Election Day will be deployed to the districts. The governor said Thursday that the remit includes several factors from the campaign itself, finances, voter education, polling, the ballot, processes and procedures, tabulation and to complaints after the fact.
Observers will be in place to observe the opening of the polling to the completion and publishing of tabulated results. The mission will attempt to visit at least 90% of all polling and counting venues and will spend a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour at each polling station.
Within a week of Election Day, a preliminary report will be produced and disseminated via a press conference, and within two months of the preliminary report’s publication, a final report will be produced and disseminated to all stakeholder before the publication of a final report.
The Election Observer Mission is being arranged by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) British Isles and Mediterranean Region (BIMR), in partnership with Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS), a not-for-profit organisation which provides support and advice on democratic processes around the world and with the Association of Caribbean Electoral Organisations (ACEO).
For full details see attached information released by the governor’s office.
Category: Politics
The problem is that this process will give the veneer of credibility to a very corrupt political process. To have any positive effect, the observers need to provide a confidential means of reporting corrupt practices so that these can be considered in any report.
Better get here quick, plenty home parties with good and plenty food and drinks going on and a lot of $25 going around, I am afraid this is called vote buying. Cam na man com soon.
This is a slap in the face of Caymanians and many have swallowed it hook line and sinker. I am recommending now that cayman should send a delegation of election observers to the next UK elections. I hear some strange things go on there as well.
What an idiot. You should befriend Whodatis on Facebook and meet up to talk crap to each other.
I hope they have more back bone than our local election officials
who's paying for this?
Apparently the UK government, it's supposed to be coming out of the FCO budget.
They are already missing out on a lot of fun. The recent visit of the lady to the UDP headquarters would have been a nice observation.
I would say they are about six months late! oh well, lets show them a good ole Caymankind time then – Im getting my rosemary broom all fixed up and I am still considering cutting that tamarind switch but I think I might have to invest in an oxygen tank because many who feel they will be elected will end up at the emergency room after the final tally of the votes.
There should be one International observer attached to each UDP candidate 24/7.
OK…. but what steps are they planning to take to look at the issue of improper inducements?
I don't think this is a good look.
I hope they will be able to read back issues of CNS and get a feel for the pathetic and seedy level of antics that have gone on already. Should not be hard to follow the trail…
We can all thank Mac and the others for this.
If you are implying 30 minutes to an hour at each polling station is not sufficient time to observe the process then agreed. Seems the delegation should have been at least twice as large with rotating observers switching shifts. This would have allowed at least one observer to be present at each polling station if not for the whole day, at least the majority of the day.
Regardless of when or where the observers are present concerned citizens should still report any abnormalities they observe immediately to the authorities. See older stories about the handing out of names printed on tiny pieces of paper being taken into polling stations.