Villagers flex their electoral muscle!

J. Roughan

25 July 2010

Honiara

Come Wednesday next week, Solomon Islands Election Day, more than 250 village people—men and women—will take official seats in more than 150 polling stations. That's about 12% of the total 975 official sites designated by the Electoral Commission. These village people will closely watch the workings of the voting system and monitor how well our electoral system is working.

 

Having villagers closely involved with the nation's elections, monitoring polling station's officials conduct and judging the validity of the electoral system, is a far cry from what villagers are expected to do. In past years and right up to the present, for instance, a villager's only task, basically, was to turn up early at a polling booth, cast a vote and then disappear. Let the professionals take care of the rest was the common wisdom. Fortunately those days are fast coming to an end and are to be replaced by a new system.

 

For more than 32 years, the Solomons' political elite have assumed that they and they alone could govern the nation. All that villagers were allowed to do, they decreed, was to cast votes and then get out of the way. Now for the first time in three decades, ordinary people will be closely watching the electoral process right up close. As one of the newly trained poll watchers said: 'This is our country and therefore our election. We want to own all the steps needed to make sure this election is 'free, fair and valid'.'

 

Back in the 2006 national election, ordinary people attempted for the first time to be more involved in the electoral system, more than simply casting a vote for a candidate. During the last election cycle, for instance, a few dozen locals, mostly youth, witnessed and monitored a few polling stations. This time around, however, the number who will actively monitor polling stations has dramatically increased. The goal of Civil Society by 2015, hopefully, is to have each and every polling station monitored by one man and one woman, people from the area who have the necessary language skills and a long time presence in the area. Such an active presence should make voter fraud, misrepresentation and other irregularities hard to take place when trained and vigilant of local villagers are present.

 

However, government's recent past performance along this line leaves much to be desired. Governments of the day much preferred to call upon overseas experts and professionals, than call upon their own people to be involved with the electoral system.

 

In 2006, for instance, 50 overseas observers, who didn't know a single local language nor Pijin, were called into to monitor our national election at a significant cost: $3.3 million to cover their airfares, hotel accommodation, salaries and food needs. This year will be no different except that there could be more than 55 overseas personnel and at higher cost.

 

Yet, there will be a significant change from what went on in 2006. This election will see many more villagers taking an active part in monitoring the elective process and at significant savings. But this election will see a more involved participation of Solomon Islanders. Not only as voters but Solomon Islanders themselves will be actively monitoring the whole voting process right across the nation. Development Services Exchange (DSE), the premier NGO group representing more than 60 local NGOs, has been busy selecting, training and monitoring more than 60 local trainers who are expected to travel to each and every one of the nation's 50 constituencies this very week.

 

While in their own constituency, they will train 4 to 6 other villagers—one man and one woman to a polling station—who who will be present for the whole 10 hours that the polling station is opened for business while citizens cast their votes. DSE intends having a presence in every one of the 50 constituencies. It is hoped that by 2015, however, when the next national election rolls around, that each and every polling station would be so covered. This time around the Electoral Commission has designated more than 950 polling stations. For sure, by 2015, that number will have increased!

 

While it is fine that overseas people are invited in to observe our national poll, it is vital that Solomon Islanders be as actively engaged as well. After all, it is their election! The overseas observer brings special expertise. Many of them have witnessed other national elections and can inform us if our attempts are up there with the rest of the nations of the world. Their experience helps strengthen our system of voting and gives a objective judgement to our law makers for any future changes in national elections.

 

But local men and women officially participating in the voting process are critical as well. Our poll watchers have never had the experience of being official observers in other nation's elections but their language skills, local experiences and many years of living in the very area of the polling station is without a doubt a big boost to make sure our national poll goes off fairly, freely and validly.

 

Of course preparing this nation-wide outreach, covering the nation's 50 constituencies, is a complicated, difficult and long term work. Late last year, for instance, this project was conceived, brought to the European Union for possible funding and the Ministry of Home Affairs was made aware that this kind of work was forming. After many dips and changes, a number of international organizations came on board, gave their blessing and most importantly, the necessary funding.

 

The European Union has been the project's main sponsor with more than $1 million Solomon Dollars donated. UNIFEM, another major sponsor, earmarked SI$70,000 while the UNDP and Commonwealth backed the concept of local poll watchers by sending trainers and giving moral backing. It is hoped that the newly elected members of parliament recognize the sea change that is happening. Local poll watching is another step in the understanding how important the village person is to the health of the nation. Yes, of course feeding the nation with its food production is accepted by those in power. But here is another step in that same direction: enabling the owners of this country, the villager, to flex their electoral muscle as well.