Increase Political Stability in Solomon Islands

Conference Will Discuss Reforms to Increase Political Stability

The Solomon Islands Government’s Working Committee on Political Party Integrity Reform will convene a two-day conference on political stability beginning September 24 in cooperation with the Australia-based Lowy Institute for International Policy and with the assistance of the Australian Government.

The conference will provide a forum for focused discussion on viable solutions to political instability in Solomon Islands. It will identify the principal causes of instability and consider systems and models from the Pacific region and elsewhere that have relevance and applicability to Solomon Islands.

The aim of the conference is to canvas solutions to address the negative impacts of political instability that have plagued Solomon Islands for much of its existence since independence.

Participants will recommend practical measures that could be taken by the Government and Parliament of Solomon Islands to improve the current system and increase adherence to principles of good governance.

The conference will seek to find new means of dealing with issues such as executive instability, weak political parties, the prevalence of ‘no confidence’ challenges, electoral reforms, personal and electoral responsibilities, as well as the costs of frequent changes of government.

About thirty participants drawn from political parties and civil society will participate in the conference.

A number of foreign politicians, academic and legal experts from Australia, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea with expertise in political and electoral reform in other Pacific Island countries, will share their experience with the Committee, Solomon Islands political leaders and other participants.

The conference forms part of the consultative process being conducted by Solomon Islands Government Working Committee on political party integrity, which is investigating the most appropriate direction for reform to underpin stability in the political arena in Solomon Islands.

It builds on the outcomes of the workshop the Committee organised on 26 and 27 August.

ENDS

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