Solomon Islanders are set to hit the polls on 17 April.
Chief electoral officer Jasper Anisi told the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) the tentative date of the Governor-General’s proclamation is 20 February.
This would mean the elections would take place 56 days after that, as per regulations.
The electoral unit’s finance manager Rueben Rongomea said they have funding support from various partners including Australia and New Zealand.
“So for our election preparations we have the funds and support from our friends…to carry out preparations leading up to the polling day,” Rongomea said.
This time it is a joint election for both parliament and provincial assemblies.
No overseas voters
Solomon Islanders overseas for seasonal work will not be able to vote in this year’s elections.
A question was sent into an election forum on SIBC, asking about voting for those working offshore.
Aseri said voters need to go to constituency polling booths, and there is not a provision for overseas workers.
Geopolitics
Meanwhile, Solomon Islands caretaker prime minister says the nation must guard against what he called “cheap geo-political tactics”.
The SIBC reports Manasseh Sogavare saying genuine development friends partner in programs which have no strings attached and are not camouflaged under geo-political interests.
He said such partners are serious about helping the country to gain economic independence to be able to help themselves, instead of driving them down the path of aid dependence.
The caretaker PM added the future for Solomon Islands lies in the transformation of its major islands by building new transformative infrastructure that will grow and drive the economy.