Electoral Roll Issue

In a press conference this afternoon, Sinai said, “the PNGEC was prepared to implement the roll update since 2021, however adequate and timely funding to implement the roll update was delayed”.

Commissioner Sinai made these remarks, after concerns widely raised throughout the country over the names of eligible voters not updated on the Electoral Roll during polling.

He said the funding was only delayed until January 2022, where the EC rushed to complete the roll before the issue of writs.

However, due to deferral of polling from, Friday 8th to Monday 11th, the community missed out not only a set date for polling but hours of their paid jobs as well.

This newsroom visited the polling venue at Skyview Estate and were greeted by disgruntled residents who were disappointed and annoyed with the announcement of yet another deferred day of polling.

Skyview Estate Chairman, Garima Tongia, spoke on behalf of the community in airing their disapproval of the manner in which elections are being delivered for 2022.

They could not pinpoint what went wrong that has led to eligible voters missing out on casting their votes, because their Polling ended on Friday, 8^th July, in East New Britain, many eligible voters were not enrolled on the Electoral Roll.

East New Britain Provincial Election Manager Joab Voivoi said the province updated its Electoral roll four months before the issue of writs.

““We updated the 2019 LLG electoral roll and the 2017 electoral roll. Unfortunately, how people miss their names maybe it was a machine or human error.

A voter from Ward 19 of Wampar Rural, Waku Morgan, was concerned that most of her people’s names were not on the roll despite giving their information to census officials early this year.

A census was supposedly conducted early this year, where people were recruited on a short-term basis to go into wards and take note of the details of the population there.

28-year-old Morgan was keen on being part of the census team in her village of Zifasing, as she was one of the few locals who had completed Grade 12.

She had voted in 2012 and 2017.

Voters expressed disappointment after finding out that the names of most of the eligible voters were not on the electoral roll.

Village leader, Jeffery Makupit said his people have the right to exercise their democratic right, however have been denied.

“Most of the eligible voters did not find their names on the common roll so the Electoral Commission officers rejected them from casting their votes”

Police presence on the ground including the New Guinea Islands Commander ACP, Perou N’Dranou prevented the situation from escalating.

They both raised concern that many eligible voters had not voted because their names were not on the electoral roll.

They said the people had the right to vote because they had been living in the area for more than six months to one year, and they needed to elect a leader of their choice.

Madang started well when polling began on Monday, the only disturbances at polling sites were disgruntled locals who did not have their names on the electoral roll.