WITH funding support from Australia, the Australian National University (ANU) will work in partnership with the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) to conduct nationwide observation of the 2024 Joint Elections.
Seven ANU researchers arrived in Honiara last week to begin the observation mission. They join 81 local researchers recruited from civil society and the tertiary sector. SINU and civil society partners are crucial to this exercise, demonstrating that Solomon Islands citizens have an important role to play ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
The ANU-SINU team completed three days of training in Honiara, before departing to 15 constituencies across Solomon Islands, which represents about a third of the country’s constituencies overall.
The two universities have a shared history of working together, teaming up on an election observer mission in 2019. This is a demonstration of Australia and Solomon Islands’ shared interest in the democratic process.
“Solomon Islands National University is proud to work alongside the Australian National University in observing the Joint Elections. The observer mission will review all aspects of the electoral process, from legislation to voter registration, from campaign activity to the handling of complaints and appeals. We will watch to see how voting is conducted and most importantly that people feel they can vote safely and anonymously,” said Dr Lincy Pendeverana, leading the large SINU team.
Mr James Batley, head of the ANU team, agreed: “We will not just monitor and observe, but show that we care about the issues important to people. Part of our monitoring will evaluate the experiences of citizens in constituencies across the country, to hear their stories as well as to make sure the elections are carried out properly and fairly.”
In addition to the 88 monitors participating from the ANU-SINU team, the country can expect to see further contingents of observers taking part in the monitoring process.
Australian High Commissioner Rod Hilton said, “Voters can also expect to see Australian High Commission staff at polling stations. We are planning for around 30 members of our team to observe election day in seven of the nine provinces.”
Australia’s support of the 2024 elections is at the invitation of the Solomon Islands Government, and follows the leadership of both SINU, in this instance, and the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission. Australia is pleased to support the Joint Elections as Solomon Islands’ number one partner.
This partnership between ANU and SINU builds upon the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Australian Government and SINU in March 2024; a high-point of a ten-year relationship between Australia and SINU to strengthen tertiary education in Solomon Islands.
The 2024 Joint Elections will be a historic moment for Solomon Islands – the first time Solomon Islands will conduct elections for national parliament, provincial assemblies, and Honiara City Council on the same day.
