Confusion over voter eligibility still looms

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 11th June 2013

 WITH nominations being processed and only a few weeks before voting, confusion still looms over voter eligibility for the Motu-Koita LLG elections, a former assembly chairman said.

In the election process now underway, only an individual who is a full Motu-Koitabuan or whose mother or father is from Motu-Koitabu can vote or be a candidate. 

But it disallows traditional settlers and those who have married to Motu-Koitabuans and settled in these villagers for years from taking part.

Former Motu-Koita Assembly chairman Rahe Maraki Rau has called on the Electoral Commission and the government to delay the elections until all issues surrounding voter eligibility were resolved.

He said a recent awareness carried out to inform Motu-Koitabuans and non-Motu-Koitabuans on the 2013 Motu Koita elections before the issue of writs raised a lot of political issues and uncertainties relating to social, economic and religious issues.  

The awareness was based on the exclusion of non-Motu-Koitabuans from casting their votes.

“This instruction to the Electoral Commissioner was never given the blessing of the assembly because there was no quorum.

“Further to that, a total of eleven current councilors of MKA petitioned the electoral commissioner against that instruction.”

Rau said media reports had also raised a lot of confusion with current MKA chairman Miria Ikupu because they stated it was a directive from the Electoral Commission. 

But Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen later stated that it was a directive for the Motu-Koita Assembly.

“While all this important issues and legal questions are yet to be addressed, this brings a very important challenge for the Electoral Commissioner and the government of the day as well as all concerned stakeholders to defer polling for the Motu-Koitabu elections until this issue is resolved,” Rau said.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission said the elections would go ahead as per the directives of the Motu-Koita Act 2007, and those who wanted to repel the act would have to go the Motu-Koita Assembly.