The Pacific Islands Forum has accepted an invitation from Vanuatu to send an observer group to the snap elections on the 22nd of January.
The Forum's acting director of political governance and security says delegates from Tonga and the Cook Islands will travel to Vanuatu next week with Forum executives.
Sione Tekiteki says the mission will monitor Vanuatu's electoral process not only to assess compliance but also to learn from and share any lessons with other member countries.
"For example both the chairman of the (Vanuatu) commission John Taleo as well as the supervisor of the (Vanuatu) elections Father Charles Vatu have participated in Forum missions in the past years. So I think that is the uniqueness in terms of the Forum's observation."
The Pacific Island Forum's Sione Tekiteki
