In a recent announcement, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, disclosed the formation of a 10-member Commonwealth Expert Team (CET), tasked with observing the upcoming Bangladesh general elections on January 7th, 2024.
The initiative follows an invitation extended by the Bangladesh Election Commission, prompting the appointment of a diverse team of experts.
Heading the CET is the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Hon Bruce Golding, who expressed his honor in leading the mission to observe Bangladesh’s elections.
The team comprises distinguished individuals, including Prof. Attahiru Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and nine other experts from various Commonwealth nations.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General highlighted the deployment of the team as a testament to the Commonwealth’s unwavering commitment to supporting electoral democracy across its 56 member countries. She emphasized the importance of safeguarding the rights of the people of Bangladesh during these pivotal elections.
The CET includes prominent figures such as Dr. Samuel Azu’u Fonkam, former Chairman of Elections Cameroon; Mr. Sabyasachi Banerjee, Advocate and Special Public Prosecutor, Calcutta High Court, India; Ms. Pauline Njoroge, a digital media specialist from Kenya; and Mr. Jeffrey Salim Waheed, former Deputy Foreign Minister of the Maldives.
Additional members are Ms. Hennah Joku, a media specialist from Papua New Guinea; Prof. Dinesha Samararatne, a Professor at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Ms. Terry Dale Ince, a gender and human rights advocate from Trinidad and Tobago; and Mr. Mark Stephens, a Partner at Howard Kennedy LLP, United Kingdom.
Throughout their stay in Bangladesh, the CET is slated to engage with various stakeholders, including political parties, law enforcement, civil society groups, citizen observers, monitoring organizations, and representatives from the media. The mission aims to ensure transparency and uphold the democratic process in the forthcoming elections.
