Watchful eyes.

• Author: Conaway, Janelle
• Position: Organization of American States' Electoral Observation Mission - Brief article

Several member states holding elections this year--beginning with Costa Rica, on February 5--have invited the OAS to send observers. In Peru, where elections will take place on April 9, the Electoral Observation Mission will be led by former Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy.

"The government of Peru has reiterated its commitment to guarantee an electoral process that is transparent, fair, and legitimate. For Peruvian citizens, the presence of the OAS reinforces confidence in the democratic process," Axworthy said.

The OAS recently sent a preliminary mission to Nicaragua to discuss the role of observers in regional and general elections scheduled to take place in March and November of this year, respectively.

Early this year, an OAS technical team traveled to El Salvador to meet with electoral authorities and to monitor tests of electronic systems that had been installed to process and tabulate results. That country will hold legislative and municipal elections in March.

For Bolivia's recent presidential elections, which took place on December 18, the OAS deployed more than 170 international observers...