From The Cayman Islands Governor’s Office

The Governor’s Office and Elections Office can confirm that a team of Commonwealth election observers will be present in the Cayman Islands for the forthcoming election.

The Mission, which is being arranged by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region (CPA BIMR), will oversee the election’s:

• political campaigning
• electoral administration
• voter registration and accessibility
• polling
• counting
• tabulation
• post-election complaints or appeals

The CPA also sent an observer mission to the Cayman Islands for the 2013 elections.  The mission this year will be jointly funded by the UK and Cayman Islands Governments.

Acting Governor, Franz Manderson said “I welcome the CPA’s Mission to Cayman to observe these historic elections.  Commonwealth participation in election monitoring is a well-established practice and provides important independent scrutiny”

Supervisor of Elections, Wesley Howell, also welcomed the CPA deployment stating: “following the last successful CPA deployment to Cayman in 2013, I welcome the chance to work with the Commonwealth again this year.  The changes to Cayman’s electoral system make the Mission particularly relevant to ensure independent scrutiny of the process.”

NOTE:

A preliminary report will be published within two days following the election and a closing report will be published within two months of the preliminary report assessing the electoral process and making recommendations for future elections.

This will be the first election since the electoral system was reformed to have a one-member-one-vote system with 19 constituencies.

Election Observer Missions

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK) acts as the secretariat to CPA BIMR, one of the nine regions of the CPA network, and is committed to strengthening democracy and good governance.

Since 2011, CPA BIMR has organised short-term Election Observer Missions (EOM) across five UK Overseas Territories including to the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands and Cayman Islands.

CPA BIMR observed the Cayman Islands’ 2013 election. Recommendations drawn by the Mission included the introduction of single-member constituencies, later taken forward by the House of Assembly in time for the 2017 elections.

Further information:

CPA UK is a signatory to the Declaration of Principles of International Election Observation and Code of Conduct for International Election Observers.

END

IMAGE: Transtec