ST. JOHN’S, Antigua--Hard on the heels of attempts by the Sandals Resorts group to influence the March 21 general election in Antigua and Barbuda comes a request from the US embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, for formally accredited diplomats to “observe” the polling, but the US State Department has denied that this represents interference in the country’s elections.
In a diplomatic note dated February 27, 2018, to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the embassy requested that Julie Limoges, Foreign Service Officer in the Political and Economic Section, be given formal accreditation to act as an observer in the general election.
In an unusual twist, the embassy also sent a copy of the diplomatic note to Loma Simon, Supervisor of Elections in Antigua and Barbuda, who has no diplomatic standing whatsoever.
The Foreign Ministry responded to the embassy, pointing out that the elections will be observed by three multilateral organisations: the Commonwealth, the Caribbean Community Caricom and the Organisation of American States (OAS). The United States is a member of the OAS.
However, the Ministry said, if the US Government wishes to send its own independent delegation to observe the elections, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda would facilitate such a delegation subject to the normal formal agreements covering the arrangements for such observation.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda said it would discourage official observation of the elections by any embassy accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, as this could lead to requests from all of them, rendering the process unmanageable.
Should the US Government wish to send a delegation other than embassy personnel to observe the elections officially, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda added that it would be pleased to enter into an agreement with the US Government for that purpose.
A State Department spokesperson for Western Hemisphere Affairs said that the US Government regularly monitors national elections, both independently and in support of the OAS and other international organisations.
“Observing elections is a core function of embassies around the world. To give a few regional examples, the US Government requested official observer status for the 2016 St. Lucia elections, the 2015 St. Vincent and Grenadian elections, and the 2015 St. Kitts and Nevis elections. The United States Government strictly acts as an observer in these elections and in no way interferes in domestic politics. Likewise, the US Government has welcomed various observer missions for US elections, including the OAS in 2016,” the State Department said.
However, in response to the point that a diplomat accredited to the country in which the “observed” elections are being held enjoys certain immunities not conferred on “normal” election observation missions, the State Department merely noted that the US Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS is duly accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“US diplomats assigned to the embassy carry out their duties in these countries in accordance with their responsibilities under international law and consistent with established diplomatic norms,” the spokesperson said.
Nevertheless, as noted, such election observation missions are always subject to prior agreements, and are invited in the first place by the host government, which is not the case here, seeing that the US Government invited itself – something that has been characterised as “interference.”
The State Department did not respond to a question as to whether or not the US Government will invite itself to observe the imminent elections in Barbados, where the embassy is physically located, especially given that the Barbados Government has reportedly already indicated that it will not be inviting any election observers whatsoever.
Further, no response was received to an inquiry if it is customary for the State Department and/or its embassies to send copies of its diplomatic notes to government officials outside of the customary diplomatic channels of communication, namely, the foreign ministry and/or accredited ambassadors. ~ Caribbean News Now! ~
