UN General Assembly
2014

allows political parties to develop and to operate in a regulated and systematic manner, thereby instilling a predictable and stable political atmosphere, which is an essential condition for development. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the Honourable Gordon Darcy Lilo, the ninth Solomon Islands Parliament concluded its four-year term early this month. As the people anxiously look forward to exercising their right to vote in the forthcoming national general election, we will do so using the biometric voter system for the first time. As a young democratic State, we are constantly improving our governance system and correcting past election irregularities. We could not have achieved that without international support and partnership. To our partners, I convey once again the deep appreciation and gratitude of Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate both Fiji and New Zealand on their newly elected Governments and Parliaments. We stand ready to strengthen our bilateral relations with our two neighbours and to address issues of