A two-day workshop on "reporting for elections" was held this week ahead of Tonga's General Election on November 16.

David Mark, a political journalist and author from the United States is conducting the training for local journalists and media staff. He brings his experience and expertise from reporting on elections in the U.S.A. and other parts of the world.

He said even though democratic systems are different in regards to the rules, logistics and operation; it is the same in that people rule. "They make the decisions and decide who to vote for," he said.

Journalists have responsibilities for double and triple checking facts. At the same time government cannot dictate what journalists should say and report. 

"I hope that my colleagues in Tonga learn about the best practices to cover elections what to watch out for, what to be weary of, but most importantly to know the rules of an election before it happens," he said.

Accuracy

Linda Folaumoetu'i, in her role as an Electoral Commissioner for Tonga, spoke on the three main pieces of legislation that govern elections in Tonga.

She explained the Constitution, Electoral Act and the Electoral Commission Act. She also explained the principal roles of the Electoral Commission Act in relation to the media.

She told participants they have a responsibility to report accurately and fairly to ensure the public is well informed of the election process and results.

The workshop was held at the Tupou Teritary Institute. Mr Mark was brought to Tonga, on a Specialist Speaker Program by the U.S Embassy in Suva.