Commonwealth To Observe Papua New Guinea’s 2022 National Elections

03 June 2022

Former president of Nauru, H.E. Baron Waqa, will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group to Papua New Guinea’s national election. Polling will take place between 2 and 22 July.

LONDON, 3 June 2022 – At the invitation of the Electoral Commission of Papua New Guinea, the Commonwealth Secretariat will deploy a Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) to observe the country’s national election scheduled to begin on 2 July 2022.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, constituted the ten-member group of observers, which will be led by the former President of Nauru, H.E. Baron Waqa.

The COG will arrive in Port Moresby on 28 June 2022 and stay until the completion of the electoral process. During their stay, which will see them deployed throughout the country, they will be supported by a team from the Commonwealth Secretariat led by Mr Linford Andrews, Head of the Electoral Support Section. The deployment of the COG was preceded by a pre-election assessment team that visited the country in March 2022.

Secretary-General Scotland said:

“I applaud Papua New Guinea’s resolve and commitment in holding this election, despite the many challenges that come with undertaking an activity of such immense value.

“As always, the deployment of this observer group demonstrates the Commonwealth’s commitment to supporting electoral democracy in member countries and a recognition of the right of individuals to participate in democratic processes through the credible, inclusive, and transparent elections that shape their societies.

“Under the leadership of Former President Waqa, I firmly believe that the observer group will provide an independent assessment of the electoral process and work together with the people and Government of Papua New Guinea to strengthen their democratic process.”

The COG will observe and consider all aspects of the election process - from the opening of polling stations and the voting process, to the counting of ballots and announcement of results - and determine whether the elections are conducted in line with the democratic standards to which Papua New Guinea has committed itself.

As per the COG’s mandate, observers will act impartially and will adhere to the standards of the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

After election day, the group will issue an interim statement of its preliminary observations and hold a press conference in Port Moresby. A final report, which will include recommendations to help improve future electoral processes, will be presented to the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Electoral Commission, and will also be shared with other stakeholders.

The Commonwealth Observer Group members are:

H.E. Baron Divavesi Waqa – Chairperson

Former President of Nauru

Dr Nicole George

University Lecturer and Researcher

The University of Queensland

Australia

Ms Makereta Komaidrue

Editor, Pacific Islands News Association

Fiji

Dame Winifred Laban

Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika)

Victoria University of Wellington

New Zealand

Ms Makereta Vaaelua

Deputy Returning Officer (DRO)

Electoral Commission of Samoa

Samoa

Mr Hendrick Gappy

Former Chairman, Seychelles Electoral Commission

Seychelles

Honourable Peter Kenilorea Jnr

Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee

Solomon Islands

Mr Johnson Honimae

Chief Executive Office

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC)

Solomon Islands

Ms Emeline Siale Ilolahia

Executive Director, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO)

Tonga

Mr Wilson Toa

Country Manager, Vanuatu Balance of Power

Vanuatu

About The Commonwealth Observer Group:

• The Commonwealth has been observing electoral processes for over four decades. In that time, more than 160 elections have been observed in 40 countries.
• Commonwealth Observer Groups (COGs) are independent and autonomous and will normally be chaired by a former Head of Government or senior political figure.
• They are composed of eminent persons from a range of fields, including electoral commissioners, parliamentarians, legal experts, gender experts, human rights experts, and media experts. Most COGs will also have a youth representative.
• Members are drawn from all regions of the Commonwealth and are appointed in their individual capacities. All missions are supported by a small team from the Secretariat.
• Each COG is constituted by the Secretary-General following an invitation or welcome from a country’s election management body or government.
• The first COG to the Pacific region was during the 1997 national election in Papua New Guinea and was chaired by the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, The Hon Sir Robin Gray of New Zealand.

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