SIEC rolls out training of senior polling officials

ELECTION CORNER..

THE Solomon Islands Electoral Office (SIEO) has rolled out a massive Training of Trainers (ToT), for Election Managers (EM) and Returning Officers (RO) of constituencies and wards, from the 18^th March to the 23^rd, in Honiara.

An unprecedented number of temporary polling officials are attending the training due to further inclusion of Returning Officers for provincial wards as a result of the joint elections.

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission since the amendment of Election laws to cater for synchronized elections, has taken on the responsibility to conduct both Parliamentary, and Provincial and Honiara City Council Elections.

Over 200 officials, including 10 Election Managers, 10 Training Coordinators, 50 Returning Officers for constituencies, and 143 Returning Officers for Provincial wards (excluding Western and Choiseul), are attending the six-day training.

SIEO has divided the group into two, the first group consisting of Malaita, Guadalcanal, Honiara, and Central Islands who are taking up the first three days (18^th to 20^th) and the rest from the 21^st to the 23^rd March.

The Training of Trainers is geared towards equipping these senior polling and counting officials on processes from the Electoral Act 2018; the Provincial Assembly and Honiara City Council Act 2023; polling and counting; and confirming operation plans and checking on available election materials in the province.

These senior officials will conduct further trainings for their respective polling and counting officials in their respective provinces before polling day.

In acknowledging the senior polling officials for being part of the SIEC’s joint election field operation, SIEO’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Jasper Highwood Anisi strongly emphasized the importance of ensuring integrity, independence and impartiality when executing election duties in line with the mandates of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission.

“For elections to truly reflect the will of the people, core values including integrity, neutrality, transparency, fairness and impartiality must be upheld,” Mr Anisi said during the opening of the training.

He further appealed to the senior polling officers to remain politically independent when carrying out their duties in order to protect the legitimacy of the election.

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