Nauru Elections Report 2008
PRESS STATEMENT 38/08
FORUM ELECTION MONITORING MISSION REPORTS ON NAURU’S 2008 ELECTIONS 22nd May 2008 The Pacific Islands Forum Monitoring Mission to Nauru’s April 2008 election has publicly released its report today, 22 May 2008. The public release of the report follows official submission of the report to the Government of Nauru on 12 May 2008. The Mission concluded that the 2008 electoral process was a credible one, whose result accurately reflected the will of the people of Nauru. Both polling and counting were conducted without problems and the Mission commended the Returning Officer and her election staff for this achievement, especially given the extremely short preparation time for the election. Having said that, the Mission recognised that the 2008 election took place in less than ideal circumstances and acknowledged that convening an election at very short notice under a State of Emergency opened the process to some inevitable limitations. The Mission also observed that all of the recommendations made by the Forum Election Observer Team following the 2007 elections remained relevant, and many of the same concerns arose in 2008, such as reported abuse of the transfer system and the need for more transparency in campaign funding and spending. The Mission’s report offers the following three recommendations: a) That future Governments consider carefully the necessary period for election preparation and campaigning, even in circumstances of political crisis, to ensure that the need for a speedy election is balanced against the rights of voters and potential candidates to full participation in the process. An election timetable of less than three weeks should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. b) That the Government considers implementation of the recommendations of the 2007 Forum Election Observer Team’s report as soon as practicable, including review of the Electoral Act and Regulations. The Forum Secretariat is requested to assist the Government of Nauru facilitate necessary regional or international assistance to that end, should this be requested by Nauru. c) That the Parliament and Government move ahead with the Constitutional reform process without delay, giving careful consideration to the measures proposed therein to strengthen political stability, enhance the accountability of leaders, and enhance the clarity of the provisions governing Nauru’s political institutions. The Pacific Islands Forum Election Monitoring Mission was comprised of Ms Makurita Baaro, Former Chief Secretary & Secretary to Cabinet of Kiribati, and Ms Shennia Spillane from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Both were part of the Forum Election Observer Team in Nauru in 2007. The Mission was in Nauru from 25 April to 2 May 2008. (Ends) For the full report click here For further information contact Ms Shennia Spillane, Legal Adviser, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, ph +679 3220216 or email. |
2008