Commonwealth Parliamentary Association of the British Islands and Mediterranean Region’s (CPA BIMR) Election Observation Mission (EOM) has found that Monday’s General Election on the British Virgin Islands “broadly met international standards”.
The eight-member EOM, which was led by Gambian politician Fatoumatta Njai commended election officials for delivering a well-organized election.
“The British Virgin Islands has delivered a well-administered election, which was carried out in a calm and professional manner. Polling staff were well-trained, diligent and helpful, and efforts to promote voting by elderly voters and persons with disabilities were commendable,” Njai said.
The EOM head described campaigning on the island as “vibrant” but she noted a considerable number of eligible voters chose to stay away from the polls.
In their preliminary statement, the observers said they were concerned about the lack of campaign finance regulations and the small number of women involved in politics.
EOM member Anne Marlborough, who is a legal/political analyst from Ireland, commented: “The lack of campaign finance regulation means that voters are unaware of sources of campaign funding and this is not in line with international best practice.”
She noted that most of the party representatives they spoke with during their mission have expressed support for campaign finance transparency legislation.
The final election observation report will be released within two months of the Election Day.
