The Commonwealth Observer Group in the country for Tuesday’s general election reported its findings at a press conference on Thursday.

The group was led by former Jamaican Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Bruce Golding spoke to the operational challenges in the electoral system. He said, “the group noted a continued absence of a statutory framework governing the registration of political parties and the regulation of political contributions and campaign expenditure. This gap continues to undermine accountability and contributes to public cynicism regarding the influence of money in politics.”

The report also spoke to the composition of the Constituencies Commission and the need for an independent body to oversee election management. Golding said, “we strongly reiterate the call of previous Commonwealth Observer Groups for the enactment of comprehensive campaign finance legislation. Ten years after this recommendation was first made the Commonwealth Observer Group of 2017 it implementation has become, in our view, even more urgent.”

The group hailed the introduction of biometric voters cards and recommended that the paper voters card by done away with and the biometric card be used in future elections.

The report also mentioned the challenges of the advanced poll as well as concerns about media balance and social media misinformation.