News:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced that New Zealand Electoral Commission official Karyl Winter will be seconded to the Fijian Elections Office to assist Fiji’s preparations for its 2018 election.
This secondment is part of a wider package of election capacity building support that New Zealand has been providing to Fiji since 2013 and will build on our contributions to date.
Last month New Zealand’s Chief Electoral Officer Alicia Wright visited Fiji to meet with senior electoral officials to mark the handing over of 15,000 voting screens donated by New Zealand for use in Fiji’s upcoming election. "The ability to have a secret ballot and to have privacy when we vote, these are fundamental to what these screens represent," Ms Wright said.
As part of the New Zealand Government’s recently announced Pacific ‘reset’, New Zealand has committed to building deeper partnerships with Pacific Island countries. Strengthening the links between New Zealand and Pacific Island officials, including through secondments and visits, is an important part of the vision for the region.
New Zealand Electoral Commission official Karyl Winter will be appointed to the position of Deputy Supervisor of Elections in the Fijian Elections Office from April.