The Jamaica Observer is gratified to witness the unwavering commitment of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat to its philosophy of democracy, which is a hallmark of its 56 independent and equal sovereign member states representing a combined 2.7 billion people.

In a world in which the notion of democracy is being rewritten on a daily basis, one could argue the Commonwealth demonstrated its latest iteration of support by yet again dispatching an observer group to oversee the recent general election in The Bahamas.

The Commonwealth Observer Group, led by former Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding, in its preliminary findings on the polls, commended the peaceful conduct of the election, at the same time reiterating long-standing concerns about the institutional framework governing elections in our sister Caribbean Community (Caricom) nation.

The decision of the Commonwealth to put resources and financial muscle behind another observer mission can be regarded as a further display of its determination to hold the hands of member countries in their efforts to build democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthen governance, and promote justice and human rights.

This is a key plank of the bloc’s work in helping to grow economies and boost trade; deliver national resilience; empower young people; and address threats such as climate change, debt, and inequality.

The Bahamas is to be lauded for holding elections which have been confirmed by the observer mission to have been conducted in a peaceful, orderly, and transparent manner, and in which voters were able to cast their ballots “in a calm environment supported by professional polling staff, party agents, and security forces”.

It is noteworthy that Mr Golding, in the interim statement, was able to state unequivocally that the observer group had no hindrance to carrying out its mandate of providing an independent, informed, and impartial assessment of the electoral process.

He added that the election reflected the maturity of the Bahamian electoral culture in the conduct of polling and the cooperation among agents of different political parties.

Mr Golding is, of course, highly knowledgeable about the conduct of elections, having been a participant and political party leader in Jamaica which has a history of challenging elections, to put it mildly.

The vast improvement in administering elections in Jamaica makes Mr Golding the right person to lead such a group, and we believe we will be allowed a moment of national pride, even if brief.

It is important that the Observer Group did not go to Nassau to whitewash the event. Mr Golding insisted that, while the polls were generally smooth and well managed on election day, all that came against persistent structural weaknesses in the electoral system.

The continued absence of an independent electoral management body was highlighted, along with a reminder of the long-standing recommendation that The Bahamas establish such an institution to ensure impartial control and administration of elections.

The report also raised concerns regarding constituency delimitation arrangements, noting that the composition of the Constituencies Commission is tilted in favour of the ruling party.

Successfully dealing with those and other issues would no doubt strengthen transparency, fairness, and public confidence in the democratic process.