Commonwealth Secretariat
  1. Home
  2. What's New
  3. Who We Are
  4. What We Do
    1. Democracy
    2. Economics
    3. Education
    4. Gender
    5. Governance
    6. Health
    7. Human Rights
    8. Law
    9. Small States
    10. Sport
    11. Sustainability
    12. Youth
    13. Millennium Development Goals
    14. Funding
  5. News
    1. Events
    2. News Archive Search
    3. Picture Stories
  6. Media Room
    1. Press Archive Search
    2. Media Contacts
    3. CommonwealthTV
    4. Podcast: Pick of the Commonwealth
    5. Events
    6. In the Media
    7. Updates
    8. Downloads
  7. Resources
    1. Documents
    2. Image Library
    3. Libary & Archives
    4. Publications
  8. Publications
  9. Employment
  10. FAQs
    1. Acronyms
  11. Contact Us
Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth responds to urgent call for Election Observers for Nauru

8 October 2004

"The Commonwealth has responded immediately to Nauru's request to observe its snap elections", the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon said today.

"The Commonwealth will observe Nauru's elections in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. We will provide two members of a five person joint team. This is the second Joint Observer Mission which the two organisations have ever undertaken."

The Parliamentary elections in Nauru are to take place on 23 October. The need for the elections arose after President Ludwig Scotty dissolved Parliament and declared a State of Emergency in the country on 30 September 2004. President Scotty then wrote two days ago, on 6 October, to request Commonwealth observers.

The Secretary-General said that the Commonwealth Secretariat is following developments closely in the Republic of Nauru.

"The Commonwealth recognises the challenges faced by Nauru, and also recognises that any contribution should add practical value to existing work. The Pacific Islands Forum includes many fellow Commonwealth friends and neighbours and it is already actively engaged with the Republic of Nauru under the provisions of the Biketawa Declaration. The Commonwealth continues to support these regional efforts and we stand ready to explore other ways to assist practically if we are asked to do so," Mr McKinnon said.

Note to Editors: 

The first joint observer mission by the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum was deployed at the Vanuatu General Elections, held in July 2004.
 
The Biketawa Declaration was adopted by the Pacific Forum Leaders at their summit in Kiribati in October 2000. It stipulates measures to be taken in times of crisis or in response to member countries' request for assistance, on the basis of all members of the Forum being part of the Pacific Islands extended family.

For further details contact Albert Mariner or Martin Kasirye at the Menen Hotel in Nauru from 19 -25 October 2004 on + 674 444 3300.

Share this page
About this

ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int