The Commonwealth has announced it will deploy a team to observe the general elections in Lesotho, to be held on 7 October.
The group will be led by the former president of Seychelles, Danny Faure.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, has formed the group following an invitation from the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho.
“I am grateful to His Excellency Danny Faure, and the whole group, for accepting my invitation,” said Scotland.
“Our election observation work is hugely important, helping to safeguard and strengthen the process, culture and institutions of democracy across the Commonwealth.
“As the former President of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure has led his country to a number of successes and has put his country at the forefront of innovation, technology and economic development. He is well placed to appreciate the issues at hand and to lead the team in Lesotho.
“The team is independent and impartial. It will assess the overall conduct of the election and will offer any recommendations needed to further strengthen the electoral process in Lesotho”.
The group will observe and consider factors affecting the credibility of the electoral process and will also evaluate the pre-election environment and election preparations.
A final report and recommendations will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn share it with the Government of Lesotho and relevant stakeholders.
The group is expected to arrive in the capital city of Lesotho, Maseru, on 30 September.
Learn more: The Commonwealth Secretariat
