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UK (Commonwealth Union)_ A team of distinguished experts from various Commonwealth nations has arrived in Pakistan and is poised to remain in the country throughout the electoral proceedings. As Pakistan gears up for national polls on 8 February 2024, an eligible electorate of 128 million individuals stands prepared to exercise their voting rights. Ahead of the much anticipated Pakistan elections, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, extended an invitation to former Nigerian President, HE Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to lead the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG).
Upon accepting the invitation, Dr Goodluck Jonathan expressed his honor and privilege in assuming this role, emphasizing the diverse expertise within the group, spanning elections, law, civil society, politics, human rights, and the media. His statement underlined the COG’s presence as a demonstration of the Commonwealth’s solidarity with Pakistan and its commitment to democratic processes. Dr Goodluck Jonathan stated, “It is my honor and privilege to have been asked by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, to lead the Commonwealth Observer Group to Pakistan’s General Elections 2024 and to be here in the country for this election.” He added, “I am grateful to be joined by twelve experts selected from across the Commonwealth. They bring together a diversity of experience in the fields of elections, law, civil society, politics, human rights, and the media, amongst others. The group’s presence reaffirms the Commonwealth’s solidarity with Pakistan and its democratic processes.”
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The COG members, selected and deployed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General in response to an invitation from the Election Commission of Pakistan, have arrived in the country. They have initiated stakeholder briefings, engaging with political parties, law enforcement, civil society groups, citizen observer and monitor groups, the media, and the Election Commission of Pakistan. In line with the Revised Commonwealth Guidelines for the Conduct of Election Observation in Member Countries, the COG’s mandate encompasses observing and evaluating all aspects of the pre-election environment, activities on polling day, and the post-election period. Their assessment will calculate the conditions for a credible, transparent, and inclusive election, encompassing media rights, the fairness of the electoral playing field, and the adherence to domestic and international norms in the administration of the electoral process.
Operating within the framework of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, the COG, as a signatory organization, maintains a non-executive role. Their primary function is observation, not supervision, with a commitment to neutrality, impartiality, objectivity, and independence in conducting their duties and assessments. Highlighting the significance of the Commonwealth’s role in the 2024 elections, where 33% of the two billion voters worldwide are from the Commonwealth, the COG plans to deploy small teams across Pakistan from 6 February. On Election Day, they will observe key processes such as opening, voting, closing, counting, and results management, culminating in an interim statement on preliminary findings to be issued on 10 February 2024.
