JAMAICA’S Director of Elections Orrette Fisher has been selected to serve as chief of mission for the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Electoral Observer Mission, which has been invited to monitor the parliamentary general election in The Bahamas on May 7.

The delegation, which includes senior electoral officials from other Caricom member countries, will be in The Bahamas for eight days, from May 1 to 9.

Fisher, along with the other members of the delegation, will be required to observe The Bahamas’s electoral process, including preparations leading up to election day, election day activities, the opening and closing of polls, as well as the counting of ballots and tabulation of results.

“Electoral observation missions have played a significant role regionally and internationally in ensuring voter confidence in the electoral process, and I am honoured to have been invited to serve as chief of mission for the delegation,” Fisher said.

“The process is mutually beneficial in that it provides an opportunity for the observers to learn about the electoral process of the host country, allowing us to draw on successful aspects, while taking note of any weaknesses that might exist,” he added.

Following the mission, the team will be required to submit a comprehensive report on its observations.

On Monday, May 7, the people of The Bahamas will elect the 38 members of the National Assembly of The Bahamas, being contested by four parties — the Free National Movement, the Progressive Liberal Party, Democratic National Alliance and The Bahamas Constitution Party. Fourteen independent candidates are also contesting the polls.