Pacific Islands Forum To Observe Nauru Elections
At the invitation of the Government of Nauru the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat is sending a small team of Forum
election observers to monitor and assess the general elections in Nauru. Polling in Nauru takes place on 24 April 2010.
Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade says: “The Forum Election Observer
mission is an expression of the Biketawa Declaration and reflects the interest of the regional and international
community in the achievement of democratic elections, as an integral part of democratic development, including human
rights and the rule of law.”
“The Forum Election Observers will be present in Nauru before, during and after the general elections in order to gain a
broad overview of the environment in which the election will take place. They will observe the electoral process and the
election itself and present a report to the Nauru election authorities,” says Mr Slade
The team will be in Nauru for two weeks, arriving on 17 of April 2010.
Mr. Walter Rigamoto, a former head of the Fiji Elections Office and a former Ombudsman and a former Chairperson of the
Fiji Human Rights Commission, heads the Forum Election Observer Mission. He has also served on several election
observation missions, including the Solomon Islands and East Timor. Mr. Rigamoto is accompanied by the Secretariat’s
Regional Governance Adviser Dr. Henry Ivarature and Legal Drafting Officer Ms. Daiana Buresova.
ENDS