A report suggesting some governments aren't practising democracy principles has prompted a call for Commonwealth leaders to get tough on members who don't measure up.
The report says some members are repressing political opposition.
It was commissioned by the University of London's Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit and the democracy lobby group Electoral Reform International Services.
The group's chairman, Keith Best, says the Commonwealth Secretary-General has only limited powers to intervene where member countries are failing, but Commonwealth heads of government could be more pro-active.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is being held in Trinidad and Tobago this week.
