Electoral Commission

This is according to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report on Global Population, with findings that show that about 15 percent of the world population live with some form of disability, the majority coming from developing countries.

As such, many are vulnerable and socially excluded, making it difficult for them to access economic opportunities and play an active role in society.

The signing took place at the Electoral Commission head office in the presence of Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai and NCD City Manager, Bernard Kipit. 

Mr Kipit said: “It is not easy to run elections and as such, NCDC has come onboard to assist wherever they can to deliver fair elections in the nation’s capital.

Under the agreement, the Municipal Government committed K1.5 million including agreeing to make available recreational parks and stadiums for polling and counting.

However, PNG’s elections have been plagued with an inaccurate electoral roll. Ever since 1987, the number of registered voters on the roll has exceeded the estimated voting population aged 18 years and over.

According to Maholopa Laveil, an Economics Lecturer at the School of Business and Public Policy, University of Papua New Guinea, the electoral roll has been inflated across PNG during the country’s nine election terms.

In a circular dated September 21^st, Department of Personnel Management secretary, Taies Sansan, said one month’s notice must be given by the 28^th of September, 2021.

She highlighted that the Electoral Commissioner has declared that the writs for the 2022 general election will be issued on the 28^th of April, 2022, and the date six months prior to the issue of the writs is the 28^th of October, 2021.

This is as per section 55 of the Public Services (Management) Act 1995.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the by-election was signed yesterday by Acting Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai, and NCD City Manager, Bernard Kipit.  

Kipit says there is urgency for representation for the people of Moresby Northwest.

“Our Constitution states that everybody in PNG must be represented. Moresby Northwest has been very unlucky, it has not been fully represented for the last four years,” he said.   

Sinai further thanked the Office of the NCD Governor for the contribution.

In February 2018, the Governor General, upon directions from the National Executive Council (NEC), commissioned CLRC to undertake a review of PNG’s electoral system within a period of 18 months; which has already be completed.

CLRC’s final report and recommendations were presented to the Prime Minister, Attorney General and key stakeholders in late January this year.

Terms of Reference that guided CLRC to undertake the review (inquiry) of PNG’s electoral system included:

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato announced this today following approval of the extension by the Minister for Inter-Government Relations Pila Ningi upon advice from the Electoral Commission.

“As of 10.00am this morning I have written to the Minister for Inter-Government Relations, Pila Niningi advising him to extend the date for the return of writs for the 2019 LLG elections to next week Friday, 2 August 2019.”

A three-man Supreme Court bench discharged the stay order on May 31^st.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato said new dates will be issued soon.

Following the stay order issued by the Supreme Court on April 25, restraining the Electoral Commission from issuing the writs and conducting the LLG elections, the Electoral Commission went to court asking to have the orders set aside.

This application was also supported by the Ume Atzera LLG in Markham, Morobe Province, and the East Sepik Provincial Assembly.

Kool, through his lawyer, filed a motion on Friday, May 10, after the completion of the judicial recount of the Chimbu Provincial seat in Goroka on May 7 to have the results be declared void and ordered another recount or a by-election for the Chimbu provincial seat.

Kool alleged that there were illegal practices during polling when tickets with butts were discovered at the judicial recount.

He alleged that there were about 22,510 ballot papers with butts and urged the court not to accept the results of the judicial recount.