Commonwealth, CARICOM observers due to arrive soon to oversee general election

International election observers from the Commonwealth and CARICOM are due to arrive in Barbados by Thursday to monitor Wednesday’s general election — the first time in the island’s history that a national poll will be formally scrutinised by overseas missions.

The Commonwealth mission, led by Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, former Speaker of the Saint Lucia House of Assembly, will comprise six observers drawn from across the Commonwealth and supported by its secretariat staff.

Representatives from CARICOM will also begin arriving in Barbados on Thursday as part of a separate election observer mission.

According to the Barbados Government Information Service, the hosting of both delegations follows a formal invitation from Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who said the move reaffirmed Barbados’ commitment to democratic practice, transparency and the rule of law.

During their stay, the observer missions will monitor the conduct of the election campaign, administrative preparations and the overall pre-election environment.

On polling day, the teams are expected to observe the opening of polling stations, the casting of ballots, and the counting and tabulation of results.

The observers are also expected to meet with key stakeholders, including the Electoral and Boundaries Commission, political parties, media representatives and civil society organisations.

Following the conclusion of the election, the missions will issue preliminary statements on their findings before submitting final, comprehensive reports.

The deployment comes amid criticism from opposition parties over the timing of the election and concerns about discrepancies on the voters’ list.

Democratic Labour Party leader Ralph Thorne has called for the election to be postponed, citing alleged irregularities on the electoral roll and arguing that more time was needed for corrections.

Prime Minister Mottley has said, however, that the election date could not be altered under Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act.

Defending the unprecedented move to invite observers, Mottley said the presence of independent missions would allow the public to assess the integrity of the process for themselves.

“It is important to invite independent electoral observers so that the public can judge the conduct of our elections for themselves,” she said at the time. “You don’t have to listen to me. You don’t have to listen to any of us. Let the independent observers cast a judgment on the conduct of elections in this country.”