Regional Electoral Administrators Network Celebrate 25 Years
Senior officials from the Pacific Islands, Australia, and New Zealand Electoral Administrators ( PIANZEA) Network last week celebrated 25 years of collaboration and mutual assistance in support of free, fair, and credible elections.
The meeting in Nadi was the first time they met in-person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
PIANZEA chair and Australian Deputy Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said they were proud of the strong and enduring partnership between Election Management Bodies that the PIANZEA Network has built and they were proud of
Australia’s role in supporting the Network.
“Through PI
ANZEA the Pacific region has a strong network of electoral administrators who promote democracy and good governance,” he said.
“The network has built the technical and operational skills of our organisations and also forged strong friendships and people-topeople links across the region.”
Acting Supervisor of Elections (Fiji) Ana Mataiciwa said it was always wonderful to gather as one Pacific family and even more special when they gathered for the development and betterment of respective democratic processes. “We are celebrating the progress and collaboration our forebearers envisioned for us 25 years ago,” she said.
“The Fijian Elections Office is humbled to host senior officials from PIANZEA.”
The PIANZEA Network was established at the Warwick in Korolevu, Fiji, on October 10, 1997. The founding document of the network is known as the Warwick Declaration which states:
“[We] hereby unanimously and collectively declare that it is indeed our joint commitment to continue and maintain in the Pacific spirit, a close association of Pacific Electoral Administrators with a view to establishing a networking arrangement to facilitate and encourage the free flow of electoral information among member countries and to provide assistance where possible.”
The network is comprised of electoral management bodies from 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 TimorLeste (associate member).
The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) is also included in network activities.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) hosts the secretariat for the PIANZEA network, through ongoing support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Through PIANZEA the Pacific region has a strong network of electoral administrators who promote democracy and good governance.
Jeff Pope PIANZEA chair and Australian Deputy Electoral Commissioner