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Gonzi to lead Commonwealth observer group for Maldives elections
Commonwealth chooses former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to lead its observer group to Maldives’ presidential elections scheduled for 7 September.
23 August 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
Former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi is to lead a Commonwealth observer group during the Maldives presidential elections. (Photo: Ray Attard/MediaToday)
Former Nationalist Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was chosen to lead the Commonwealth observer group during the Maldives' presidential elections taking place next month.
In a statement, the intergovernmental organisation said its secretary general, Kamalesh Sharma, appointed the group at the invitation of the Maldives Elections Commission.
The 17-member observer group will arrive in Malé on 31 August and will remain there until 14 September 2013.
It will send its report to Sharma who will in turn send it to the Government of Maldives, the Elections Commission, Maldivian political parties and eventually to all Commonwealth governments.
The Commonwealth Observer Group's mandate is to observe and consider all aspects of the electoral process with a view to assessing compliance with the standards for democratic elections to which Maldives has committed itself. Where appropriate, the Group may also make recommendations for the future strengthening of the electoral framework.
Commonwealth Observer Groups act impartially and independently and conduct themselves according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
Luke Camilleri •
Certament ghandhu xi "fan" il-High Places il-Gonz!
Il-Maldives sejjer "OSSERVATUR"..... kieku anki jien nithajjar immure "Osservatur" , il-Maldives , fuq deckchair that is-sigar tal coconuts....
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IS he going to tell them that on Saturday we vote and on Sunday we celebrate?
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Will he check whether their ID Cards have been updated?
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commonwealth means "Flimkien Kollox Possibli",faqqar u falla lil Malta, lil Partit Nazzjonalista u issa lil Commonwealth. Jafu dawn li anki huh ghajjru dittatur?
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Does Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma know that, as Prime Minister of Malta, Dr. Gonzi insisted on holding a referendum to see whether the majority of Maltese wanted the Maltese Parliament to enact a law introducing divorce in Malta and then, because the referendum result did not please Dr. Gonzi, Dr. Gonzi voted in Parliament against the will of the majority as expressed in that referendum? Does Mr. Sharma consider such an act as typical of one who is entrusted with observing democratic process?
