Senior electoral officials, including Tonga's, attended the region's administrators network in Nadi from 2-4 May, the first time they have met since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pacific Islands, Australia, and New Zealand Electoral Administrators (PIANZEA) Network celebrated 25 years of collaboration and mutual assistance in support of free, fair, and credible elections.

Tonga was represented by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Rt. Hon. Lord Dalgety K.C. and the Supervisor of Elections, Pita Vuki.

PIANZEA Chair and Australian Deputy Electoral Commissioner Mr Jeff Pope said they “are proud of the strong and enduring partnership between Election Management Bodies that the PIANZEA Network has built, and we are proud of Australia’s role in supporting the Network.

"Through PIANZEA the Pacific region has a strong network of Electoral Administrators who are promoting democracy and good governance. The Network has not only built the technical and operational skills of our organizations but has also forged strong friendships and people-to-people links across the region.”

Acting Supervisor of Elections (Fiji) Ana Mataiciwa said it is always wonderful when we gather as one Pacific family and even more special when we gather for the development and betterment of our respective democratic processes.”

“This week we are celebrating the progress and collaboration our forebearers envisioned for us 25 years ago. The Fijian Elections Office is humbled to host senior officials from PIANZEA here in Fiji, where the Network began.".

The PIANZEA Network was established at the Warwick in Korolevu, Fiji, on 10 October 1997. The founding document of the network is known as the Warwick Declaration which states: [We] hereby unanimously and collectively declare that it is indeed our joint commitment to continue and maintain in the Pacific spirit, a close association of Pacific Electoral Administrators with a view to establishing a networking arrangement to facilitate and encourage the free flow of electoral information among member countries and to provide assistance where possible.

The meeting comprised of 34 senior officials and Electoral Management Bodies from  Australia, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Timor-Leste (associate member). The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) is also included in Network activities.