Senior officials from the Pacific Islands, Australia, and New Zealand Electoral Administrators (PIANZEA) Network held their first in-person meeting this week in Nadi, Fiji since the COVID pandemic began. The meeting celebrated the Network’s 25 years of collaboration and mutual assistance in supporting free, fair, and credible elections.
During the opening remarks, PIANZEA Chair and Australian Deputy Electoral Commissioner Mr Jeff Pope expressed pride in the Network’s enduring partnership between Election Management Bodies and Australia’s role in supporting the Network.
Through PIANZEA, the Pacific region has a robust network of Electoral Administrators who promote democracy and good governance. The Network has built the technical and operational skills of its member organizations while also fostering strong friendships and people-to-people links across the region.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the Rt. Hon. Lord Dalgety K.C., and the Supervisor of Elections, Mr. Pita Vuki, attended from Tonga.
The PIANZEA Network is composed of Electoral Management Bodies from 18 countries, including Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Timor-Leste (associate member). The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) is also part of the Network’s activities.
Source: Government Press
