Chaos as names not on roll

TEMPERS flared at most polling stations in the country while some witnessed exchange of fists, burning of ballot papers and very rowdy crowd.
Again, it was confusion, chaos and enraged voters not only in the nation’s capital but across the country.
After the reports from last week and the weekend turn of events, everyone will be left with doubts as to the level of preparedness of the PNG Electoral Commission for the conduct of this election.
Despite assurance from the commission boss that it was all systems go, the turn of events does not reflect well on his announcement a few weeks ago.
From throughout the country for the past few days, we have been receiving reports about missing names on the common roll, ballot papers arriving late, late training of polling officials, the election process being disrupted, ballot boxes hijacked and destroyed which all point the accusing finger directly at the PNGEC.
We even have news of seven people being killed and a polling site and several homes burnt in Margarima, Hela. Police vehicle burnt.
In Port Moresby, many gathered as early as 7am but polling didn’t start until 11.30am (in some areas) and when it finally did, the electoral roll used for this election was the biggest let down.
In Port Moresby, many drove around the city searching for their names at the different polling sites.
What else can go wrong, Moresby North East deferred for the fourth time to today after the returning officer threw in the towel.
Our reporter spoke to an individual who had cast his vote three times and was about to attempt a fourth, when the polling officials recognised him and sent him away. Just like that, he walked away scot free.
Reports coming from outer centres say voters told polling officers and the AROs who they wanted to give their 1, 2 and 3 to and everyone including candidate scrutineers standing around listened in.
Children as young as 7-year-old voted right in front of the officials.
Others left disappointed that their names were not on the electoral roll.
The exercise updating of the roll should have been decentralised from the wards, to the LLGs and provinces and to the main centre.
Whatever that went wrong with that exercise many potential voters were turned away at polling stations.
By all accounts, this was a common problem across the country.
We have gone through observer’s reports from 2017 suggesting for the PNGEC to consider a form of personal ID that can be used for verifying a person’s entitlement to vote.
Everything now points back to the ID system and the common roll.
Prime Minister James Marape last week admitted that the common roll “was not adequately prepared” for General Election 2022 (GE22), and apologised to those unable to cast their votes because their names were missing.
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai on the other hand directed election officials to use the online voter roll to check names if they were not on the common roll.
We witnessed polling officials refusing those who brought printed confirmation from the online check.
Sinai admitted PNGEC did their utmost best to have (people) enrolled, but ran out of time because Government funding for the updating of the common rolls was released only in November.
Whichever government formed after this election, funding support must be given to the PNG Electoral Commission to reform the electoral process which should include new system of voter registration and identification, voting system and counting.
This exercise must be jointly conducted by the PNGEC, NSO, NID and Civil Registry.
If nothing is done in the next five years then we will still face same old problems election in and election out.