HONOLULU (Feb. 27) -- A delegation of election observers coordinated by the East-West Center in Honolulu has begun arriving in the Federated States of Micronesia to act as official monitors for the FSM national congressional and Chuuk state elections on March 3. Some 20 observers from a variety of countries in the Asia Pacific region will be participating in the monitoring project, which will focus on learning about local election processes and promoting their integrity and legitimacy.

Among the observers is expected to be U.S. congressional Rep. Eni F. H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa, along with a number of other prominent scholars and diplomats. Teams of observers and translators will be stationed at a number of key polling and vote tabulating locations in Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap.

“Since gaining independence in 1979, the FSM has a strong overall record of holding fair and honest elections,” said Dr, Gerard Finin, Deputy Director of the East-West Center’s Pacific Islands Development Program and Project Director of the election monitoring delegation. “However, the relatively small number of news media in the country and the remoteness of some polling stations do pose some challenges. The purpose of the Election Observation Mission is to help local officials ensure that irregularities do not occur.”

After the election, the mission will prepare an assessment report that contains an analysis of the 2009 election results and recommendations for ways to enhance the quality of future elections. It is anticipated that FSM officials and citizens will participate in future observation missions in other countries in the region

The Election Observation Mission is being conducted under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership, a multilateral collaboration of Asia Pacific countries to promote and strengthen democratic processes in the region. The East-West Center is coordinating the monitoring project under a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

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The EAST-WEST CENTER is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and the governments of the region.