Nauru’s aspiring electoral candidates have just two weeks left to apply to contest next year’s national elections.
The Nauru parliament introduced “significant changes to the electoral system” late last month.
In public notice on 29 August, the Nauru Electoral Commission (NEC) said the amendments to the 2016 Electoral Act means those who want to enter parliament must declare their intentions to run by 27 September in two weeks time.
“If you intend to run as a candidate, you must make your declaration now. If you decide not to run later, your intention will lapse automatically after the nomination period ends.”
The amendments mean that under the new amendments, all potential candidates need to submit their interest 12 months before the dissolution of parliament.
“Failure to declare by this date to be a running candidate could result in fines of up to AUD$5000(US$3,362) or imprisonment for up to two years,2 the NEC notice said.
According to the changes, holders of what are called an ‘office of profit’ in the service of Nauru must also now resign 12 months before the dissolution of Parliament, instead of the previous 60 days.
Offices of profit in Nauru include; the public service, police, air corporation, fisheries and marine resourcesd authority, utilities corporation, fibre cable corporation, Cenpac, postal services commission, tourism corporation, any public enterprise, and parliament, among others.
David Adeang is the Nauru president and longest serving MP in the current parliament, having launched his political career when he first stood in the 2001 general elections.
RNZ Pacific has contacted the Nauru government for comment.
