ENGLAND / BARBADOS – Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey, has deployed a team of Commonwealth experts to observe the February 11 General Election in Barbados.
The Commonwealth Expert Team (CET) will be led by Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, former speaker of the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia and senior attorney at law. The CET also comprises three other eminent Commonwealth election experts, with expertise in politics, elections, media, law and civil society.
Commonwealth expert team members are:
Head of the expert team
- Sarah Flood-Beaubrun: Former speaker of the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia and founder of the Caribbean Centre for Family and Human Rights. She previously served as deputy permanent representative at the permanent mission of Saint Lucia to the United Nations and is an experienced Commonwealth election observer.
Commonwealth expert observers
- Justice Amraphael Mbogholi Msagha: Retired Court of Appeal Judge and former principal judge of the high-court of Kenya. He is an experienced Commonwealth election observer, and he has also served as a special envoy for the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
- Orrette Fisher: Former director of elections at the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, overseeing four elections. He has served on and chaired election observation missions in three continents and now works as an elections management and training consultant.
- Terry Dale Ince: Development specialist, consultant, rights advocate from Trinidad and Tobago, and the founder of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee of Trinidad and Tobago. She is the recipient of the Trinidad and Tobago National Medal for the Development of Women and an experienced Commonwealth election observer.
The CET will depart Barbados on 17 February.
Announcing the team’s departure, secretary-general Botchwey said:
“Our presence in Barbados to observe the upcoming General Election is significant as it marks the first time the Commonwealth has deployed election experts to the country. It reaffirms our commitment to democratic resilience, and our support for credible, transparent and inclusive electoral processes.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Barbados and support their aspirations and democratic choices, acting independently and impartially to help ensure that their collective will is freely expressed.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to these eminent Commonwealth citizens who have embraced this significant assignment in support of the people of Barbados.”
The Commonwealth Expert Team (CET) arrived on 5 February and will meet key stakeholders, including the Electoral & Boundaries Commission, political parties, civil society groups, the media, the diplomatic community and other international and citizen observers.
As head of the expert team, Flood-Beaubrun will submit a report containing the team’s findings and recommendations to the secretary-general for her consideration and action.
The CET will be supported by Commonwealth Secretariat staff led by Prof. Michelle Scobie, adviser and head of the secretary-general’s good offices and the Caribbean section.
