Disabled set for polls

Islands, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 23rd April 2013

 AT least 45 people living with disabilities have registered to vote during the local level government elections in Kokopo.

The PNG Electoral Commission with funding support from AusAID through the electoral support programme has begun registering disabled people to vote.

This is being done in Morobe for the Mamose region, Kokopo for New Guinea Islands region, Goroka for the highlands region and Motu-Koita for the Southern region.

The exercise began in Morobe and Kokopo last week.

The theme for the exercise is “Making the rights real. Making elections inclusive and accessible”.

Staff from AusAID and the electoral commission have been working with staff from the special education centres on the registration.

In Morobe, the team is working with the Morobe Special Education centre in Lae.

In Kokopo, they are working with the Callan Special Education Centre. In Goroka, they are the Mt Zion Centre for the Blind and in the Southern region,  they are working with Cheshire Home and the Motu-Koita assembly in Port Moresby.

In Lae, 80 have registered and 45 in Kokopo.

Registrations will continue until the end of this month. Polling begins on July 6.

ENB election manager Joab Voivoi said last Friday all stakeholders must work together to get disabled people registered.