The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat will send a mission to observe the 2016 elections in Nauru on 9th July.
The observer mission comes in response to an invitation from Nauru’s Electoral Commission and the Government of Nauru.
“The Pacific Islands Forum is committed to ensuring free, safe and credible elections across the region” said Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor.
“The observation of best practice governance principles is fundamental to the Pacific Islands Forum, and our vision under the Framework for Pacific Regionalism for a free, productive, prosperous and secure region. Already this year we have sent electoral observer missions to Vanuatu and Samoa and we are pleased to do the same for Nauru.”
To build a full picture of the electoral process the mission will look at the pre election environment, polling, counting and announcement of official results.
Acting Director for Political, Governance and Security at the Secretariat, Mr Sione Tekiteki, travels to Nauru this week to meet with stakeholders and begin collecting information related to the pre-polling environment.
The full team will be in Nauru a week ahead of the general election and will remain until the official results are announced.
The members of the mission are currently being finalised and a further announcement will be made on its composition shortly.