The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has formally appointed a three-member regional delegation to oversee Barbados’s forthcoming General Elections scheduled for February 11, 2026. Leading the mission as Chief Observer will be Mr. Ian S. Hughes, the Supervisor of Elections, who will head the team in an independent contractor capacity.
Mr. Hughes will be supported by two seasoned electoral officials: Mr. Andrew Smith, Regional Manager at the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (EOJ), and Ms. Josephine Tamai, Chief Election Officer of Belize. The observation mission is set to be stationed in Barbados from February 5 to February 13, 2026, encompassing the pre-election, election-day, and immediate post-election periods.
In accordance with the Mission’s established Terms of Reference, Mr. Hughes will provide strategic leadership and operational guidance to ensure a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process. His responsibilities include overseeing the team’s efforts to monitor, evaluate, and report on the fairness, transparency, and credibility of the proceedings.
Expressing his commitment to the role, Mr. Hughes acknowledged CARICOM for entrusting him with this critical responsibility. He emphasized his dedication to capturing the full context and subtleties of the electoral environment, ensuring the mission’s reporting is both accurate and insightful.