EC to start preparing now

 By DIANNE WAKETSI

IT IS essential that preparations for the 2017 general election begin now, Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen said yesterday.

Trawen highlighted this during a dedication service for the commission yesterday, repeating a call he made soon after the 2012 election 

He stressed that the commission’s priority would be to ensure that thousands of voters were registered using the biometric system when the time came for elections.

“That is why as the election management body, PNGEC must come up with appropriate solutions for voter registration so that we capture eligible votes in the country,” Trawen said.

He said the commission had asked for K49 million as development budget to fund electoral reform programmes, which included the use of biometrics system this year, but unfortunately funding was not appropriated in this year’s budget. 

“The implementation of the electoral reform programme is very important as it will greatly assist the commission to come up with mechanisms to counter existing and new developments in electoral foul-play in both national and local level government elections,” Trawen said.

Australia has stepped in to assist the commission by allocating K10.92 million to help with its reform programmes.