Observers to monitor House of Keys election

A team of independent observers will be arriving on the Isle of Man next week to evaluate the fairness, transparency and accessibility of the House of Keys general election.

Organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region (CPA BIMR), observers will gather the experiences of those involved in the contest in the run up to the poll on 24 September.

The 10-strong team of observers, who will assess the election against international standards and obligations along with Manx laws, will begin arriving from Tuesday.

It is the second general election on the island to have been observed by the CPA BIRM team after a similar mission in 2021.

The team will speak to election officials, candidates and local groups to get an insight into the electoral process in the context of the Isle of Man.

People who want to share their views can contact the mission directly.

A total of 82 candidates are contesting the 24 seats available across the island's 12 House of Keys constituencies.

The delegation includes commonwealth parliamentarians from the Turks and Caicos Islands and Gibraltar, and will be headed by Deputy Chris Blin from Guernsey.

Blin said the mission would build on the work carried out at the last election in 2021.

"Election observation is a vital part of strengthening democratic processes, and our mission will focus on assessing the election against established international standards," he said.

"We look forward to engaging with stakeholders across the Isle of Man and supporting transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the electoral process."

The election observation mission will publish a preliminary report containing initial findings on 28 September, with a more detailed analysis released later in the autumn.

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