General elections will take place next week in both Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname and the incumbent governments have invited CARICOM to monitor the polling.
The teams began arriving on May 19-20 to begin their observations of the preparations for elections on May 24 in Trinidad and Tobago, and on May 25 in Suriname, a press release from the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, said.
Chief of Mission to Trinidad and Tobago, Hugh Cholmondeley, former advisor to the CARICOM Secretary-General on Haiti, will lead a team which includes Deputy Chief of Mission, Billie Miller, former Deputy Prime Minister, Barbados; and Ellsworth John, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ambassador to CARICOM.
The team to Suriname includes Chief of Mission, Michael Flood, Electoral Commissioner, Saint Lucia; Deputy Chief of Mission, Gocool Boodhoo, Chief Elections Officer, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM); and Hensley Robinson; Chief Electoral Officer, Barbados.
The main functions of the missions would be to monitor the preparations of the elections; the conduct of the polls; and the counting of ballots.
The missions are required to assess the political environments and outcomes of those elections and to prepare a report on their findings, the release stated.
This practice of fielding CARICOM Observer Missions is part of the Community’s efforts to foster democratic principles and the maintenance of good governance in CARICOM member states.
The mission that will be in Trinidad and Tobago will depart on May 26 while the team in Suriname will leave on May 28, the release concluded.
