The Leader of Opposition Business and Member of Parliament for Kingston Eastern and Port Royal Phillip Paulwell left Saturday to represent Jamaica as part of an observer mission for this week’s general elections in the United Kingdom.

His trip is sponsored by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association which is fielding 30 members of its Election Assessment Mission (EAM), comprising a head of mission/observer; an election analyst/observer; parliamentarian observers; election officials/observers, and UK election coordinators.Paulwell will represent the Jamaican Parliament in support of the EAM Head of Mission (HoM), whose responsibilities will be to provide leadership of the EAM and its members; act as the official spokesperson for the EAM; act as lead observer; conduct high-level meetings throughout the mission; and act as senior liaison for all senior stakeholders, as well as oversight for the preliminary and final reports.Prior to his departure, Paulwell underwent a two-day intensive training programme as, according to the People’s National Party “all members of the EAM must be physically fit and will be expected to work long hours, especially on election day; and must be willing to participate in the entire programme of activities, which will include physically demanding schedules”.Paulwell described his selection as “a tremendous duty” in which much is expected of him by both the British and Jamaican people. “I am very aware of the responsibility of being selected and I intend to justify my selection by representing my country and its people with honour and respectability,” he said.