The National Research Institute will be providing a supportive role in research and analysis information to the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission as it conducts the reviews around the country on election laws and other related systems.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two yesterday for NRI to assist with technical topics in the review through seminars.
NRI will assist CLRC in research and analysis on technical topics of the review’s 13 terms of reference, and in the end, put together an independent report to CLRC.
NRI will host a series of seminars that will look at four main technical topics: Electoral boundaries which have remained the same since Independence; voter registration and electoral rolls; special interest groups in women and the management and conduct of polls.
For the special interest groups, CLRC Secretary Dr Eric Kwa says the seminars will assist NRI identify what groups make up those “special interest groups of women”.
He thanked NRI for the partnership and said UPNG, Goroka University, Divine Word University and UNITECH will also enter into seminar MOUs with CLRC to cover other technical topics that are part of the 13 terms of reference.
K50,000 will be allocated to each institutions to run their seminars in the space of a month.
NRI Director Dr Osborne Sanida said proper information and data is needed for decision making.
The nationwide consultation is expected to be completed by July 2019.