The Vanuatu Government has nominated former President Kalkot Mataskelekele to lead the Melanesian Spearhead Group Observer Group (MSGOG) to observe the 2022 Papua New Guinea National Elections next month.
The MSG Observer Group will comprise of highly respected citizens from the MSG Members - Fiji, Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and will be supported by the MSG Secretariat support team.
Mataskelekele, a lawyer by profession having obtained his degree at the University of Papua New Guinea and had previously served as first indigenous Solicitor General and Supreme Court Judge.
Yesterday he was briefed by the Secretariat’s Programme Manager for Political and Security Affairs (PSA), Ilan Kiloe and Manager Corporate Services, John Palmer, who will be part of the MSG Secretariat support team.
On behalf of the Director General, Kiloe conveyed the MSG Secretariat’s profound appreciation to the Government of Vanuatu for their unwavering commitment to MSG and for nominating Mataskelekele, one of its finest and former Head of State, to lead the MSG Observer Group.
The MSGOG will be working closely with the PNG Electoral Commission to establish the necessary logistical arrangements in Port Moresby before the deployment of the teams to various locations throughout PNG.
The focus for the MSG Observer Group will be on the women candidates, which is consistent with the desire of our MSG Leaders to improve representation of women in our respective National Parliaments. This will also enable the MSG Observer Group to make recommendations on what can be done to facilitate women’s aspirations to accede to representative office in the Legislature.
Photo supplied MSG Secretariat Caption: Former President of Vanuatu, Kalkot Mataskelekele (middle) with MSG’s Programme Manager for Political and Security Affairs (PSA), Ilan Kiloe (left) and Manager Corporate Services, John Palmer.