Intense lobbying is underway on the margins of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Palau for the five candidates including Fiji’s Kaliopate Tavola vying for the position of the Secretary General of the Suva-based Secretariat.

PACNEWS has been reliably informed that Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands are going out of their way to campaign for their candidates, Dame Meg Taylor and Dr Jimmie Rodgers, respectively.

Officials from one of the countries vying for the SG position told PACNEWS that the race will be ‘tight’ given the calibre and the number of candidates that have put up their hands for the top regional position.

Of the five candidates, two are from Micronesia, de Brum from Marshall Islands and Fabian Nimea of the Federated States of Micronesia.

The other three are Dr Rodgers, Tavola and Dame Taylor.

Forum Leaders will appoint a new Secretary General at the end of their Retreat tomorrow.