OBSERVERS : HE Ali’ioaiga (2nd from left) with Forum Mission to observe Solomon Is. elections.
(Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS) — H.E Ali’ioaiga Mr Feturi Elisaia, High Commissioner of Samoa to Fiji, is heading a Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) election observer mission to the Solomon Islands to observe the upcoming Joint Election on 17 April 2024.
The mission is at the invitation of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission, and includes Mr Lawson Samuel, Secretary of the Law Reform Commission, Ministry of Justice and Social Welfare of Vanuatu, supported by PIF Secretariat staff.
PIF Secretary General Henry Puna welcomed the the opportunity to convene the observer team, adding the importance of Pacific nations, sharing common insights and appreciation for the Pacific context, to observe the election and convey observations through a publicly available post-election report.
“The Forum’s first ever election observer mission was to the Solomon Islands in 2001, and I welcome the Solomon Islands’ consistent invitation to domestic and international observers to participate in this sacred democratic process,” said SG Puna.
“From the very beginning we’ve known just how unique elections in our part of the world are, especially in a region that has a very large Ocean area, where many of our populations are based in remote or rural communities far from urban centres. Our Blue Pacific continent deeply values cultural and traditional customs, as well as democratic values and principles.”
The Forum Team will observe polling on election day, and the count. They will meet with a wide range of stakeholders including the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission, election candidates, Government officials, and civil society representatives throughout the course of the mission.
334 candidates from across 13 political parties, including 120 independent candidates, will contest the national election. Of the 334 candidates, 20 are women. A total of 420,253 voters are registered to vote on election day.
Forum Election Observer Missions are conducted under the Biketawa Declaration 2000, the Pacific’s regional commitment to good governance.