TIME TO VOTE

By MALUM NALU
ELECTORAL Commissioner Patilias Gamato has advised eligible voters to correctly note their polling venues, times and dates so they do not miss out on electing their parliamentarians.
He also warned the people not to intimidate, threaten and deny others their rights to go and vote.
The official date for the start of polling is tomorrow (Saturday) but the actual polling starts on Monday.
Polling teams will start travelling to their assigned areas over the weekend. Polling time is from 8am to 6pm “and no exceptions would be made for anyone”.
“For one-day polling, we are giving the opportunity to every eligible voter to go and vote,” he told The National.
“Polling starts on that day and ends on that day (from 8am to 6pm).
“They should not misuse or deny themselves the one-day polling because it’s their only opportunity to go and vote.
“I want to appeal to every citizen, who is eligible to vote, to make good use of the polling day.”
Gamato said the same applied to areas where multiple-day voting had been scheduled.
“We, as the PNG Electoral Commission, will make available electoral services to the people,” he said.
“They must make full use of the electoral process, go to the polls, and elect the leader of their choice. It’s their democratic right.”
He warned people not to threaten, intimidate or deny other voters the right to go to polling stations.
“In that way every voter, including women and girls, can exercise their democratic rights at the polling venue,” he said.
He said this from Goroka yesterday after completing a week-long tour of the seven Highlands provinces with members of the Inter-Departmental Election Committee.
The committee includes Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari, Police Commissioner Gari Baki, Defence Force Commander Brigadier-General Gilbert Toropo and himself.
Gamato said after checking out the preparations in the seven provinces with the IDEC team, he was satisfied that everything was ready.