MSG Observer Group Prepares to observe the 2020 Vanuatu National General
Election
MSG Observer Team for the Vanuatu Elections, sitting from LR – Freddie Bosoboe from Solomon Islands, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola Head of Delegation from the Republic of Fiji, Leonard Louma from the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and Dimitri Qeneqei of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front
12 March 2020
PORT VILA: On the invitation of the Government of Vanuatu, the MSG Observer Group will be observing the 2020 Vanuatu National Election. The MSG Observer Group will be led by Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.
Mr Kubuabola who arrived in the country on 11 March expressed his sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu for the invitation extended to the MSG to Observe their national election. He said that the MSG Observer Group will observe the election in line with the MSG 2038 Prosperity for All Plan for strengthening electoral process and good governance in Member Countries.
“Vanuatu is an important Member of the MSG and we are calling on all Ni-Vanuatu citizens to embrace their democratic rights and come out in numbers to cast their vote on 19 March”, Kubuabola added.
The MSG Observer Group will be deployed to observe the election in Efate, Tanna, Malekula and Santo Constituencies and will monitor the electoral processes, including the opening of the poll, voting process, the closing of the poll and the counting of the ballots.
The other members of the mission include Mr Leonard Louma MSG Eminent Person from the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Mr Freddie Bosoboe, the Deputy Chairman of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission, and Mr Dimitri Qeneqei, representatives of the FLNKS. The Mission will be supported by the MSG Secretariat Staff.
This will be the second time that the MSG will be observing election in Vanuatu. The first MSG Observer Mission was conducted during the 2016 Snap Election.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the MSG Secretariat Ambassador Amena Yauvoli thanked the MSGOG Members for accepting to be part of this important undertaking here in Vanuatu. He also conveyed his sincere appreciation to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for their ongoing support to the MSG Secretariat and for ensuring adequate training and support for the MSG Observer team in preparation for the Mission.
Ambassador Yauvoli stressed that these MSG Election to Observer Missions to Member county’s is a manifestation of MSG Leaders’ commitment to promote and strengthen democracy in MSG Member States. The MSG Observer have successfully completed past election observation during the Vanuatu Snap Election in January 2016, the Papua New Guinea Election in July 2017, the Fiji Elections in November 2018 and the Solomon Islands National General Elections on April 2019.
As scheduled the 2020 MSG Observer Mission to Vanuatu will be deployed out to the field over the weekend to observe the pre-polling period, polling day and the counting of ballots after the election.
The Head of Mission looks forward to a free, fair and creditable Elections.