Mr. Victor Ngele was sworn in as Electoral Commissioner to the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) by the Governor General, Honorable Sir David Vunagi on Friday 8th December 2024.
Hailed from Guadalcanal Province Mr. Ngele was appointed under Section 57(6) of the Constitution.
Section 57 (6) sets out the necessary qualifications for membership of the Commission as follows –
“(6) Only the following persons are qualified to be appointed as appointed members of the Commission:
(a) a former Governor-General;
(b) a former Speaker;
(c) a retired judge;
(d) a former Member of Parliament;
(e) a current or retired head of any religious organization or of any civil society organization;
(f) a person who has held a distinguished career in the government or private sector;
(g) a public officer of the permanent secretary level.
Mr. Ngele was appointed as member of the Commission by virtue of section 57(6) (d), being a former member of parliament.
Mr. Ngele has held a distinguished career in the government and private sector.
In his professional capacity, Mr. Ngele was the Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Australia, Canberra from 2006-2010.
From 2010-2012 he was also the Solomon Islands’ Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and from 2013-2019 he was the Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Malaysia.
Mr. Ngele previously held various Board Memberships and currently, he is the Chairman of the National Land Board.
Mr. Ngele also held various Ministerial portfolios with the Solomon Island Government back then.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Jasper Highwood Anisi affirmed that with a proven track record of delivering results and driving change, Mr. Ngele is uniquely qualified for this Electoral Commission role.
Mr. Anisi expressed confidence in the new appointment, stating, “We are pleased to welcome again Mr. Ngele to the Commission.
“Please join us in congratulating Electoral Commissioner Mr. Ngele on this well-deserved appointment and wishing him all the best in this important role,” he added.
