The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission through RAMSI's and Solomon Islands Government's legal framework on reform and capacity building has received new advisors to help on electoral reform.

The Electoral Commission this week received one operations advisor, two new graduates and a program manager to the Electoral System Strengthening Program (ESSP) to be based at the Electoral Commission Office. A legal advisor is expected to join the office in mid August.

Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Polycarp Haununu, welcomed the advisors into the office on Tuesday.

Mr. Haununu said that the role of advisors in electoral reform had made greater impacts and improvements in the conduct of elections and voter registration for the past years, especially towards the success of the recent 2010 National General Election and Voter registration which was acknowledged.

Mr. Haununu also said that these advisors are here to support the current electoral reform and the Commission looks forward to their contributions to help achieve the Government's reform agenda on electoral processes, as well as work professionalism.

"Having overseas technical advisors is a golden opportunity and is very important to this electoral reform in achieving the NCR government's reform agenda on electoral reform, as well as enhancing local counterparts' work performance through capacity building", Mr. Haununu said.

Mr. Haununu added that the Legal Advisor will be working under the Electoral legislative reform program to look at areas in the Electoral Act and Regulations that need revising and advising the Electoral Commission on those areas that needs amending", Mr. Haununu said.

Goopy Weaving, the new program manager for ESSP, said that she was very happy to join the SIEC team and looks forward to working closely with all the staff.

"I am very happy to be here and will be helping the Chief Electoral Officer and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the organizational development and management of the SIEC office in order to fulfill its mandates and help achieve its goals of reform towards the 2014 election," she said.

The operations advisor will be working on election operations and logistics for both voter registration and the conduct of election on some operational changes in preparation for the 2014 voter registration and National General Election.

It has been almost three months now since advisors who have supported the Electoral Commission in all areas of election operation for the recent 2010 National General Election have left.

Therefore, with this electoral reform advancing, the Commission is privileged to have these advisors to assist in its preparations for the next upcoming National General Election with the aim to improve the conduct of free and fair election for 2014 and the future


Source: Press Release, Electoral Commission