Elizabeth Morgan | Major upcoming events – The Commonwealth Heads and the US mid-term elections

Amid continuing concerns about economic issues and water woes, there are two important events approaching at the end of October into the first week of November. These are the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, November 1-4, and the US Congress’ mid-term elections to be held on Tuesday, November 3, about 22 days away.

The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a voluntary international organisation with 56 independent and sovereign member states. Most were former colonies of Britain, but other countries outside of the British Empire have now joined. Most of these countries are republics or independent monarchies. There are 15 countries which are monarchies (realm states) retaining King Charles III as their national head of state. These are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. Eight of these countries are CARICOM members. The Commonwealth Secretariat is in London, at Marlborough House, and the secretary general is Shirley Botchwey of Ghana, who started her term on April 1, 2025. The titular head of the Commonwealth is King Charles III, who will be attending his second CHOGM since becoming the monarch/head of state of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

Recall that the Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow, Scotland, July 23 to August 2. Jamaicans won 19 medals at these Games. Jamaica hosted the Games in August 1966.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM is a summit held biennially. The first was held in Singapore in 1971. Three other Caribbean countries have hosted the CHOGM. These are Jamaica in 1975, The Bahamas in 1985, and Trinidad and Tobago in 2009.

The theme of CHOGM 2026 is ‘Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth’. The Commonwealth secretary general (SG) has been actively promoting her first CHOGM. She has been travelling and meeting with heads of state and government of member countries, and other heads of international organisations. The SG has said that she has agreed with the host, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, that this CHOGM should be a real success and should deliver for the people of the Commonwealth. This will be a CHOGM for promoting business and investments to unlock opportunities for growth and to address the many problems currently confronting the member states.

Reparations

Starting at the 27th CHOGM held in Samoa in 2024, the CARICOM countries endeavoured to have the Commonwealth place the issue of reparations for transatlantic slavery on the agenda. At this CHOGM, CARICOM intends that reparation claims should be addressed. PM Browne may find himself walking a diplomatic tightrope as Antigua and Barbuda host its largest international meeting. New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will be attending his first CHOGM and confronting the issues of slavery and reparation claims.

In addition to attending CHOGM, King Charles will also be visiting The Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda as head of state and will be making a state visit to Guyana.

The US mid-term elections

The US mid-term elections for seats in the US House of Representatives and the Senate are in full swing. These are very important elections, as they will determine whether the Republican Party or the Democratic Party will control the next Congress in January 2027. The whole world is watching these elections to see whether a party will be in control of the Congress that will be prepared to hold the Trump administration to account.

The US elections are definitely ones to watch, and they continue to shock. One still cannot believe some of what is happening in US elections, including gerrymandering, and what sounds like vote-buying and voter intimidation.

It is noted that the Carter Center, which has been promoting democracy and observing elections in countries around the world, started observing elections in the USA since 2020. It appears that they will also be monitoring this November’s elections.

It seems that this election will not have international monitors. It is reported that the Trump administration did not invite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which has been monitoring US elections for 20 years.

Who would have believed that US elections needed international monitors? It seems that these are needed now more than ever before.

Like others, this column is following developments in the USA. For now, we will leave the polls alone and see what happens on the morning of November 4. After 2024, who can trust polls and US voters!

More interesting times ahead.

Elizabeth Morgan is a specialist in international trade policy and international politics.