Electoral Commision

According to Sinai, traditional methods of voter enrollment, which rely heavily on field officers collecting data, are proving ineffective due to unreliable information from community leaders and locals. This has raised concerns about the integrity and credibility of the electoral roll.

Sinai revealed these issues during an update on the ward electoral roll preparation for the 2024 Local Level Government (LLG) Elections, currently underway in 22 provinces. 

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato confirmed receiving the order at 2:30pm this afternoon.

“In accordance with and in adherence to the order of the SoE Controller, I now further delay the conduct of Goroka by-election until after the COVID-19 State of Emergency ends on 2 June 2020.”

Gamato said funding was among the main reasons for the further delay of the Goroka by-election.

He explained that the government advised him late yesterday afternoon that there was no funding available to proceed with the by-election.

He made it very clear that the Electoral Commission will only conduct elections for ward members when ward electorate writs are issued by Inter-Government Relations Minister Kevin Isifu on 25 April 2019.

“In short, PNGEC will only conduct elections for ward members based on and in compliance with the relevant organic laws and legal instruments currently in effect,” he said in a statement.

“Our preparations for 2019 LLG ward member elections are currently in advanced stage exactly four weeks prior to the issue of writs as of today, 25 March 2019.

He said if such allegations are made then the commission must be notified to verify them.

Gamato said this in response to rumours, which surfaced at the beginning of polling, that extra ballot papers were in circulation.

“As far as I’m concerned, all ballot papers are intact, we only release them for each electorate and they go under police scrutiny and custody until they are released to be used in the polling places,” he said.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says intending candidates can collect the deposit slips for election nomination fees at PNGEC Finance Branch at the headquarters in Port Moresby, and in their respective provincial electoral offices.