The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group, H.E. Danny Faure, has said that the presence of Commonwealth observers at the 2023 Presidential Election in Maldives “affirms the Commonwealth’s continuing solidarity with the people of Maldives”.
He further urged all stakeholders in Maldives to play their part in ensuring a peaceful election.
Issuing the Group’s arrival statement in the capital on 4 September 2023, Male, the former President of the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Danny Faure, said:
“It is a great honour to be a part of this important democratic endeavour.
“This moment is even more significant as this will be the first Commonwealth Observer Group to observe an election in the country since Maldives re-joined the Commonwealth in February 2020.”
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There are 282,395 eligible voters in this year’s presidential election.
H.E. Danny Faure has emphasised the independence of the observers. “Our mandate is to observe, and not to interfere with the electoral process,” he said.
He explained that the Commonwealth observers would evaluate the pre-election environment, polling day, as well as the post-election period and would give a substantive account of their observations.
Members of the Commonwealth Observer Group arrived in Maldives on 2 September and will stay until 15 September.
Over the next four days, the observers will receive briefings from a range of stakeholders, including election management officials, representatives of political parties, civil society groups, the police, members of the diplomatic community, and citizen and international observers.
“We will consider the electoral process as a whole and report on whether it has been conducted in accordance with the national, Commonwealth, and other international standards to which Maldives has committed itself,” the Chairperson added.
The Group’s final report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, the Government of the Republic of Maldives, the Elections Commission of Maldives, political parties, and Commonwealth member governments. The report will later be made available to the public.
