JANE WAETARA who has resigned as Chief Electoral Commissioner is our new Permanent Representative to the United Nations and High Commissioner to Canada, it was revealed on Tuesday.
This was confirmed by a member of the Board of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission.
Solomon Star obtained the information after days hunting the reason(s) for what seemed to be a sudden resignation only after just a year and eight months in the job.
She was the first female Solomon Islands Electoral Commission Chief.
“Oh, she is now our Permanent Representative to the United Nations and High Commissioner to Canada,” Solomon Star was told.
“She was actually appointed last year but decided to wait given that she had just joined the SIEC.”
It is unclear when she would leave for New York, where she would be based for the duration of her tenure. Mrs. Waetara who comes from North Malaita is the Solomon Islands’ first female Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
By practice, she is also accredited as Solomon Islands’ Ambassador to the United States of America and High Commissioner to Canada.
The Government is yet to formally announce Mrs. Waetara’s appointment.
But a statement from the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) office last week confirmed Mrs. Waetara’s resignation.
“It was an early resignation,” the statement said.
“Her official resignation came into effect on Wednesday 13th April, 2022 and steps to fill the vacant post of the chief electoral officer have been taken and (are) in progress,” the statement said.
Mrs. Jane Waetara was formally appointed as Chief Electoral Officer in August 2020 until her resignation early this month, a period of almost 20 months of service for the Commission.
Comparatively, her tenure as Chief Electoral Officer was the shortest.
Mrs. Waetara was the first female Chief Electoral Officer in Solomon Islands.
“SIEC would like to thank Mrs. Jane Waetara for her service to the commission and at the same time wish her well in her future endeavours,” the statement said.
Exclusive by Alfred Sasako
