The PNG Electoral Commission is making an urgent appeal to respective provincial administrations to provide necessary financial and logistical support for the conduct of the Supplementary LLG elections in their respective provinces.
The appeal was made by the Electoral Commissioner's Delegate John Kalamoroh.
Kalamoroh said PNGEC was ready to conduct the Supplementary LLG elections but it does not have the necessary funds.
On November 5th, the PNG Electoral Commission wrote to Treasury Secretary Dairi Vele requesting for a funding of K4.7 million.
“The PNGEC is ready to conduct Supplementary LLG elections for the 96 failed wards in 10 provinces but we don't have the necessary funds,” stated Kalamoroh.
The commission is now calling on provincial administrations of the 10 provinces to support with necessary funding and logistics as they are better placed to manage the Supplementary LLG elections in their respective provinces.
Kalamoroh explained that PNGEC was allocated a total of K6.6 million to conduct court ordered judicial recounts for Hela Provincial and Kandep Open and has already committed and expended K4.1 million.
The balance in PNGEC's system stands at K2.4 million and it urgently needs the balance of K2.3 million to conduct the Supplementary LLG elections, which is yet to be released by Treasury Department.
Writs for the 96 failed wards – most in the Highlands – were issued by the Minister for Inter-Government Relations Pila Niningi on 30 October 2019.
Polling starts today, November 16th, and ends on November 29th.
Majority of the 96 wards were failed due to election-related violence and hijacking and destruction of ballot boxes and papers.