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An OAS team of Election Observers will monitor the Dominica 2009 elections
Dominica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vince Henderson has announced that a 12 member delegation from the Organization of American States (OAS) will arrive on island by the 15 of December to observe and examine the island’s electoral process.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit wrote to the OAS and CARICOM on November 20th requesting their presence on island to observe the electoral process in an effort to ensure that the December 18 polls were fair, transparent and uninfluenced.
Opposition parties including the United Workers Party and the Dominica Freedom Party had also written to the OAS and other regional and international agencies requesting election observers.
The Chief of the OAS Observer Mission arrived in Dominica today.
Henderson says the delegation will thoroughly examine all aspects of the electoral process.
“They will be here to observe the elections; they will file a report at the end of the elections and indicate their own impression of the general elections. We took this action because we realize that we need to indicate to the world that our elections are free and fair,” Henderson told the media on Monday afternoon.
CARICOM has also accepted government’s invitation but has not yet given a date for their arrival.
“We are very happy to have these teams in Dominica…we will always ensure that the people will be able to exercise their rights to vote,” he said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister also encouraged DLP supporters to stay away from violence.
