Coordinator claims SHP roll has flaws

By YVONNE HAIP
THE electoral roll update in Southern Highlands has flaws that could affect the election, provincial election co-ordinator Jeffrey Kobol says.
Kobol said many people had not been enrolled in the electoral roll, while in some areas, the lists were inflated, and others had names of deceased people listed.
He said he recently found this out because electoral officers, including him, did not view the final list before it was sent to Port Moresby.
He claimed the acting provincial election manager had been the only one who had viewed the lists and sent them to head office.
Kobol said he suspected some flaws in the common roll had been done intentionally.
He said an accurate electoral roll was essential for a free and fair general election.
He said all eyes were on the province which had major developments taking place and if the election manager and his team were incompetent, “this year could result in the province’s second failed elections”.
He claimed the acting election manager was involved in many malpractices and should be moved to another province.
He said he had written three times to Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen and had delivered two letters personally, asking for the election manager to be changed but no action had been taken.
He called on Trawen to look into the issue because the people were looking forward to having a good election.
He called for a provincial administrator to be appointed without delay so that plans for the running of the elections could be done.
Kobol appealed to all intending candidates to unite and discuss how best the elections in the province would be run.
Intending candidates, eligible voters, and community leaders petitioned the Electoral Commission last month to have the acting election manager removed but have not received a response.