(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     An eleven (11) member Electoral Observer Mission from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is now in Antigua and Barbuda to monitor the Parliamentary Elections to be held on June 12, 2014.

The Mission headed by Mr. Orrette Fisher, Director of the Electoral Office of Jamaica, is in the country on the invitation of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.  The other members of the Group include representatives from the following CARICOM Member States:

The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
St. Kitts and Nevis
Trinidad and Tobago
And two members of staff of the CARICOM Secretariat

The Advance Group including Mr. Fisher and the staff members of the CARICOM Secretariat arrived on Friday, June 6, 2014 and the others on Sunday, June 8, 2014.

Since arriving in Antigua and Barbuda, the Advance Group has paid a courtesy call   on   the   Honourable Prime Minister, His Excellency Baldwin Spencer, and has met with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Gaston Browne of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), Mr. L. Chaku Symister, Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), and Ms. Lorna Simon, Chief Elections Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC).

The Advance Group is hoping to meet with the Chairman and members of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission, the Police Commissioner and representatives of various Non-Government Organizations ahead of Thursday’s polls.

On the day of Elections’ the Observer Mission will monitor activities in 16 of the 17 constituencies including the Opening of the Poll, Voting, Close of Poll and Tallying of the ballots. 

The Mission will issue a Preliminary Statement based on its observations followed by a full report to H.E. Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community.

The CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission is happy for the opportunity to support and strengthen the democratic process in the Region and appreciates the high level of facilitation and cooperation received since its arrival in the country.

ORRETTE FISHER
CHIEF OF MISSION
10 JUNE 2014