The Commonwealth will send a 14-member observer mission to Bangladesh to monitor the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election and the referendum on the July National Charter, scheduled to be held on 12 February.
The mission will be led by former Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo, according to a Commonwealth press release issued on Wednesday.
The statement has been published on the Commonwealth’s official website.
The press release said that following an invitation from the Election Commission of Bangladesh (EC), Commonwealth secretary-general Shirley Botchwey announced the deployment of the observer mission from London.
The observer mission will comprise experts from across the Commonwealth with backgrounds in politics, law, media, gender, and electoral management.
Announcing the mission, the Commonwealth secretary-general said, “As we deploy our team to observe the elections and referendum being held concurrently in Bangladesh, we reaffirm the fundamental importance of credible, transparent and inclusive electoral processes in strengthening democratic governance and supporting long-term stability.”
“Our presence in Bangladesh is guided not only by the responsibility to observe, but by a commitment to uphold the aspirations of the Bangladeshi people at this crucial moment in their democratic journey, acting independently and impartially to help ensure that their collective will is freely expressed,” Shirley Botchwey added.
She also expressed her sincere gratitude to the distinguished Commonwealth citizens who will be undertaking this important observation role.
The observer mission will comprise experts from across the Commonwealth with backgrounds in politics, law, media, gender, and electoral management.
The mission will be supported by a team from the Commonwealth secretariat, led by Linford Andrews, head and adviser of the Commonwealth’s electoral support section.
The mandate of the Commonwealth observer mission is to observe the electoral process and to provide an independent assessment of whether the national election and referendum are conducted in a credible, transparent and inclusive manner.
Following the completion of the mission, the observers will submit a report containing their findings and recommendations to the Commonwealth secretary-general.
The report will subsequently be made public and shared with the Bangladesh government, the Bangladesh election commission, political parties, all Commonwealth governments, and the general public.