ADDITIONAL P.P.F OFFICERS ARRIVED AHEAD OF NEXT WEEK’S ELECTIONS
The New Zealand Police contingent commander meets the RAMSI PPF Commander, Greg Harrigan, RAMSI Special Coordinator, Justine Braithwaite; New Zealand High Commissioner, Marion Crawshaw and RSIPF’s David Diosi at Honiara Henderson International airport. (Photo by RAMSI Public Affairs)
A contingent of Australian riot police is among more than 90 Participating Police Officers (PPF) being flown to Solomon Islands ahead of next week’s elections.
PACNEWS today reports the additional support includes 54 officers from Australia, 32 from New Zealand and about 10 officers from the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Tuvalu.
While Police officers from Pacific Island island countries are already on the ground, the Australian and New Zealand contingents expect to arrive in Honiara today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, RAMSI’s Special Coordinator Justine Braithwaite says the increase in PPF personnel is only a contingency measure while the local police force is in full control of policing the elections.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Secretary General is deploying an 11 member Observer team to the country, to observe the country’s National General Elections, on November 19.
The Commonwealth Secretary General’s Office says, this is in accordance with an invitation by the Solomon Islands government.
Papua New Guinea through its former Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta, leads the Observer group.