Australia is engaging with Solomon Islands to support the upcoming national general election on 3 April 2019.
We are working closely with the Solomon Islands Caretaker Government in the lead-up to the election. This is the first national election since the end of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), which ran from 2003 to 2017.
At the request of the Solomon Islands Caretaker Government, the Australian Defence Force, with the New Zealand Defence Force, is providing logistic, communications and contingency support, including help to transport election materials and personnel to regional centres during the polling period.
The Australian Federal Police is providing additional support to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to assist its planning and delivery of policing services during the election.
We have also been supporting voter awareness; including electoral experts to assist the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission; and deploying advisers from the Australian Electoral Commission and through Australia Assists, our civilian deployment program.
Australia will also send a team of election observers, at the invitation of the Solomon Islands Caretaker Government.
This support will assist the Solomon Islands Caretaker Government to deliver polling operations across the dispersed archipelago and help support robust electoral processes.
Australia shares a close relationship with Solomon Islands and an unwavering commitment to supporting security and stability in the country.
