Jacinda Ardern announces resignation as prime minister
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today has announced her resignation stating she will not be seeking re-election this year and her last day as prime minister is February 7. Ardern said she reflected over the
The late Brij Lal to finally return home
After 12 years in exile, the late Professor Brij Vilash Lal is returning home to Tabia in the Fijian province of Macuata on Saturday, February 25. Funeral rituals will be held at Tabia Sanatan College from 12.30-2pm
Opinion: Fiji’s fragile new coalition needs the support of Australia
Sitiveni Rabuka is Fiji’s prime minister again after assembling last month a coalition with a majority of three seats, ending Frank Bainimarama’s 16 years in power. Like Gaul, the new coalition government of
Samoa Court quashes appointment of Leota
Samoa’s Court of Appeal has found the appointment of Toomata Norah Leota as the 7th woman MP to be illegal and her subsequent swearing in as a member of the Legislative Assembly as invalid. “We declare that no
Full text: Declaration on U.S.- Pacific partnership
Full text of U.S.-Pacific summit: We—the governments of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa,
PNG leaders to declare business transactions
Papua New Guinea Ombudsman Commission (OC) has reviewed its annual statement forms, meaning that a total of 452 leaders will now have to declare all their business transactions. PNG Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen
Samoa Opposition MPs reinstated to Parliament
The suspended Samoa opposition leader and his party secretary have been reinstated to Parliament. Samoa’s Opposition Human Rights Protection Party leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and party secretary,
No Constitutional Infringement: Vanuatu Chief Justice Lunabek
The Vanuatu Supreme Court has dismissed an urgent constitutional application from the 27 signatories of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Bob Loughman, the Daily Post reports. Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek
Solomon Islands election delayed to 2024
The Solomon Islands parliament has voted to delay the country’s national elections to 2024, backing a push from Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to postpone the poll until after the Pacific Games next year. The
Verdict on Vanuatu Dissolution to be declared September 9
The constitutional case to decide whether or not there will be an early election in Vanuatu will not be decided until the end of this week. At Friday’s hearing before Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, the counsel for the
PNG Election ‘severely flawed’, report shows
Transparency International PNG has described the accumulated failures in the preparation, conduct, delivery and conclusion of the 2022 PNG General Election as being a severely flawed process. TIPNG in its preliminary
Former Fiji opposition leader Jai Ram Reddy dies
Former Fiji leader of the opposition, judge and political trailblazer, Jai Ram Reddy has died. Reddy, 85, passed away in Auckland on Monday night. He was born in Lautoka in 1937 and had a long and illustrious career as
Opinion: Solomon Islands, a blueprint to stop a cycle of strife
Allowing more power for the provinces under a decentralised system of governance will be a step towards stability. In November last year, Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara erupted into three days of riots, resulting in
Vanuatu Dissolution to be contested September 2
The constitutional case filed by 27 former Vanuatu Members of Parliament (MPs) challenging the legality of the Council of Minister’s (COM) advice for Parliament dissolution, is now set for hearing next Friday.
Vanuatu opposition lodge constitutional application
The 27 signatories of the motion of no confidence against Vanuatu caretaker Prime Minister, Bob Loughman, have filed an urgent constitutional application on the dissolution of the Parliament. Former Vanuatu Opposition
Vanuatu’s parliament dissolved
Vanuatu’s new President, Nikenike Vurobaravu has dissolved the country’s parliament just over halfway through the current four-year-term. President Vurobaravu signed the instrument for the dissolution of
“Ready to Run” Campaign Training for Women Election Candidates
Building Public Confidence in Elections in Fiji Through Civil Society Action Dialogue Fiji Professor Shaista Shameem Vice Chancellor The University of Fiji Increasing the number of women in parliament is only a small
A ‘Can Do’ Spirit For MSG and Melanesia
“In terms of the broad Melanesian Spearhead Group family, my intention is to re-institute the spirit of ‘can do’ that characterised the MSG when it was first formed in the 1980s.” That’s Leonard Louma, the new
Samoa launches survey results on political attitudes
A pioneering survey of popular political attitudes in the Pacific – the Pacific Attitudes Survey (PAS) Samoa – is being launched this week. The PAS gauges the views of ordinary Samoan citizens on a range of
Samoa MPs suspended indefinitely
Leader of the Opposition HRPP Party and Samoa’s longest serving Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Maliegaoi and HRPP Party Secretary, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi have been suspended indefinitely from Parliament.
Massive referendum boycott highlights ongoing division in New Caledonia
Provisional figures in the New Caledonia referendum on self-determination show an overwhelming No to independence. But this result only comes from the peaceful and disciplined response to the independence movement’s
Analysis: Many voters to boycott New Caledonia referendum
Many New Caledonians will go to church this Sunday, or visit family or go fishing, and some of them will also drop into the local town hall to vote in the New Caledonia referendum to decide on its political status. But
Independents the winners in Tonga’s election
Is the party over? Tonga’s election has seen support for the country’s two major parties disintegrate, in favour of a large new cohort of independents, Kalafi Moala writes. The people have spoken and voted for