NZDF providing support for Solomon Islands election
Seventeen New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel left yesterday and 15 more plus a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) NH90 helicopter left this afternoon to provide support for the Solomon Islands’ general election next month.
As announced on Monday by Minister of Defence Ron Mark, the NZDF is deploying 55 personnel and two NH90 helicopters to the Solomon Islands this week to provide support for the South Pacific country’s election.
The 17 personnel left yesterday on an RNZAF C-130 Hercules aircraft and 15 more personnel and a helicopter were flown this afternoon to Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, on a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft.
The Globemaster will return to New Zealand later this week and transport the remaining personnel and another NH90 helicopter.
Brigadier Jim Bliss, the Acting Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said the NZDF would be operating as part of a Combined Task Group led by the Australian Defence Force, in response to a request from the Solomon Islands Government.
The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and Solomon Islands Electoral Commission were leading the operation, Brigadier Bliss said.
“The NZDF’s logistic support will contribute to the delivery of the election by Solomon Islands authorities by helping ensure that election materials and officials get to where they need to be,” he said.
“It also supports the New Zealand Government’s goal of deepening defence engagement with our Pacific neighbours.”
The combined New Zealand-Australian operation will help transport officials and election materials to about 1200 polling stations spread across six main islands and a number of the 900 smaller islands that comprise the Solomon Islands.
“Helicopter transport capability is critical because the polling stations are spread out across an archipelago,” Brigadier Bliss said.
In January the NZDF delivered about two tonnes of voting equipment provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission. The New Zealand Government has announced that it would also send election observers.
From 2003–2017 New Zealand and its Pacific partners contributed to restoring peace and stability in the Solomon Islands through the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
RAMSI, a partnership between the people and government of the Solomon Islands and 15 contributing countries of the Pacific region, stabilised the political and security situation following five years of internal conflict and security challenges.
The general election on 3 April is the first since the RAMSI concluded in 2017.
