Elections

France, Germany and the Netherlands are holding elections later this year, and experts agree with former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden that Moscow will try to sway the results.

The voting infrastructure is expected to be relatively secure since all three countries use paper ballots.

But here's how Russian hackers (and others) could influence the outcome:

Phishing for dirt

In a memo to government entities regarding time-off for employees, the governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga pointed to local law, in which a qualified elector for general election is entitled to be absent from his or her place of employment for two consecutive hours for the purpose of casting their vote.

Voters are also protected from having their wages deducted for being absent during that time.

The two hour absence excludes any lunch or rest periods.

The revelations threatened to put the controversy over Trump's refusal to follow recent precedent and release his tax returns at the center of the presidential campaign less than 40 days before the election, after a week in which the Republican nominee has struggled to bounce back from a debate in which most analysts and scientifically conducted polls scored Clinton as the winner.

Five election petitions were filed yesterday at the end of the official 10 day period given under the electoral Act for petitions.

According to RNZI, newly elected parliamentary speaker, Leaupepe Toleafoa Faafisi is facing bribery and treating allegations from former ruling party MP, Aiono Tile Gafa.

There are 164 candidates standing, with almost half being members of the ruling Human Rights Protection Party.

Four candidates, including the caretaker prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, are running unopposed in their constituencies.

The Forum Observer Team comprises Mr Calvin Ziru, Registrar of Electoral Parties under the Solomon Islands Political Parties Commission 

Our correspondent said stricter electoral laws meant there could no longer be traditional presentations of food, money and fine mats by the sitting MPs and election candidates.

He said as a result, the lead up to this election had seen candidates attending far less social events.

On Friday, February 26, UN Women and UNDP launched a special award for journalists who showed gender balanced and sensitive reporting on women participation.

The caretaker Prime Minister and leader of HRPP, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi said he is proud of the political party's achievements during its reign in power.

Another four cases are for not satisfying the three years residential requirement under the law, and two for being convicted on a criminal offense.

These challenges were all mentioned before Chief Justice Patū Tiava’asu’e Falefatu Sapolu and Justice Lesatele Rapi Va’ai .

Seven of the applicants have applied for an order to disqualify a respondent as a candidate, while two applicants are applying for a declaratory order.