The Pacific Islands Forum will monitor the upcoming Nauru elections after the island nation made the request.

A Press Statement released by the Pacific Islands Forum states that it will send two observers to monitor the elections, to be held on the 26th of this month.

'The Forum mission will consist of Mrs Makurita Baaro, former Chief Secretary and Secretary to the Cabinet of Kiribati, and Ms Shennia Spillane from the Forum Secretariat. Both were members of the Forum Election Observer Team to the August 2007 general elections in Nauru'.

'The return mission will observe the election and the formation of government with a view to offering any revised or additional recommendations to those made by the Team in 2007'.

The Press Statement also quotes Peter Forau, Acting Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat, as saying, "The Forum is committed to working with Nauru towards a peaceful and lawful resolution of the present political crisis."

2007 had seen Nauru's then-president, Ludwig Scotty, ousted in a vote of no confidence following periods of instability and Marcus Stephens was appointed as replacement. Parliament was dissolved earlier this month.