CARICOM election observer mission starts work in Antigua-Barbuda

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Three members from the nine-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Observer Mission (COM) began their work scrutinizing the process leading up to General Elections in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday March 23rd.

Other members of the groups who hail from The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are scheduled to arrive on 20 March, three days ahead of the poll. 

Mr. Dennis Smith, a former Chief Elections Officer of Barbados, is heading the mission that met with Prime Minister Lester Bird and other members of his party, the Chamber of Commerce and the Electoral Commission among others on their first full day of work.

The Mission will also be meeting with the Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Mr. Baldwin Spencer, The Police, visit Barbuda, meet with Independent Candidates and other members of civil society during the course of this week.

Meanwhile, the third supplementary voters list since the commencement of continuous registration on the 15th of December 2003.

The country's Supervisor of Elections, Ms. Lorna Simon made the announcement on Monday.

According to Simon, the list has been posted in the seventeen (17) constituencies across the country. Antigua and Barbuda law requires that the publication and posting of the supplementary register by the 15th day of each month.

A matter that is causing serious concern to the Supervisor is the high number of voter ID cards that have been reported lost since their distribution.

According to Simon, arrangements are being made to have these cards replaced with special ID cards. She said the sixty-five individuals who have lost their cards have been invited to the office of the Commission to have the situation properly addressed.

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