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OAS Permanent Council Receives Report of Electoral Observation Mission to The Bahamas

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) received today in a regular meeting the report presented by the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the hemispheric organization on the general elections in The Bahamas on May 7, that highlights the “fluid, transparent, and peaceful manner” in which the vote took place, in a demonstration of the country’s “adherence to and respect for democracy.”

The EOM, headed by Ambassador Alfonso Quiñonez, OAS Secretary for External Relations, congratulates The Bahamas for “the high voter participation which has served to continue strengthening the country’s democratic institutions.”

The Mission, made up of 12 observers from 10 countries, observed the voting process in 30 of the country’s 38 constituencies, and carried out extensive interviews with the Parliamentary Registration Department, the government, political parties, The Royal Bahamas Police, and civil society organizations. The Mission arrived in the country on May 2, and left on May 8. On Election Day, the Mission noted that 90.4% of registered voters took part which, though representing a decline from the elections of 2007 remains high, “especially in light of the fact that voting is not compulsory in The Bahamas.”

The report also noted that polling places opened and closed on time, voters had adequate information about the location of their polling stations, police ensured a peaceful atmosphere, and the infrastructure at voting centers for senior citizens and those with disabilities was in place.

Among the recommendations of the EOM, were that the Bahamian authorities consider “the adoption of a legal framework on the financing of political parties and campaigns, specifically rules that limit campaign spending, that prohibit anonymous and foreign contributions and the establishment of mechanisms to oversee the money coming in and out of campaigns.” Moreover, the EOM proposed encouraging political parties “to incorporate more women in both leadership positions within party structures and as candidates for the National Assembly.”

Mission Chief Quiñonez thanked the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia and South Korea for their support to the Mission, as well as Mission Leadership Quebec and Université Laval of Canada. He also noted that the OAS Electoral Observation Mission coordinated its efforts with the observation mission sent by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The Foreign Minister of The Bahamas, Fred Mitchell, who was present at OAS headquarters in Washington DC, said the report was “accepted by the government of The Bahamas without reservations, and will be utilized by the government to plot the progress of continued reform of the electoral process.” Minister Mitchell thanked the Mission for its work, and briefly outlined plans to move forward on several of the areas mentioned in the report.

At the same regular meeting of the Council, the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, presented his report on the organization’s 42nd General Assembly, held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, between June 5 and 7. Ambassador Ramdin said that the Assembly adopted two declarations and 66 resolutions. Furthermore, he added that 1,482 people took part in the Assembly, at which 27 meetings were held.

The OAS official also indicated that, following the policy adopted by the General Assembly to take advantage of technologies to save paper and help the environment, the General Assembly of Cochabamba used 95 percent less paper that in the event of 2005 in Fort Lauderdale, the United States. The Assistant Secretary General also proposed to the Member States a moratorium on new resolutions and mandates until the OAS is able to catch up with current resolutions and mandates.

Ambassador Ramdin also reported that the OAS has already made formal contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, in order to coordinate the organization of the 43rd General Assembly, to be held in June 2013 in the Central American country.

In addition, the Permanent Council decided to change the dates of the Third Meeting of Officials Responsible for Penitentiary and Prison Policies, which will be held on September 17 and 18 at OAS headquarters, and the Third Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons, which will take place on October 15 and 16 in Guatemala. The Council also approved the agenda for the 87th Regular Meeting of the Directing Council of the Inter-American Children’s Institute. Finally, the Permanent Representatives discussed holding a future meeting to discuss the issue of Paraguay. The President of the Council and Permanent Representative of Jamaica, Stephen Vasciannie, said he will continue to consult with the representatives to propose a date.

The regular meeting today welcomed the new Permanent Representative of Uruguay, Milton Romani.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The video of the event will be available here.

The audio of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-273/12