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OAS OBSERVATION MISSION UNDERWAY IN JAMAICA,
ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL TO ARRIVE TOMORROW

  August 29, 2007

KINGSTON, Jamaica- The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, will arrive in Jamaica tomorrow to head the OAS Observation Mission for the General Elections, scheduled for September 3, 2007. Ambassador Ramdin will consult with high ranking political and electoral authorities regarding the preparations for the elections and the challenges presented by the damage inflicted by Hurricane Dean.

The OAS Mission began deploying its monitors on Friday, August 24 with the arrival of the core group of electoral experts. Yesterday, these observers monitored the vote of the security forces and Election Day workers, who as stipulated in the electoral code, vote prior to Election Day. The Mission expressed satisfaction with the overall organization of this event. Its observations will be included in the final report of the Mission presented to the OAS Permanent Council upon conclusion of the electoral process in the country.

According to the Assistant Chief of Mission, Steven Griner, the remaining members of the OAS team will participate in a training session, which will include OAS observation methodology, the international code of conduct for observers and the electoral process of Jamaica, among other topics. Some 50 observers from 13 countries of the hemisphere comprise the observation mission, which will be deployed to at least seventy percent of the 60 constituencies in the country.

The observation process responds to an invitation of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica. The Governments of Canada and the United States of America have contributed to this effort and other OAS Member countries will provide observers on Election Day.


Reference: EOMJAM1