Election delay allows EC time to update roll

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE postponement of the local-level government elections to next April will allow the Electoral Commission more time to update the common roll, an official says.
Deputy Electoral Commissioner John Kalamorah said voters would have more time to check their names.
“We will thoroughly check and verify the common roll in time for the elections in April next year,” he said. He attended with others the third National Electoral Commission workshop in Port Moresby yesterday.
“We will update the common roll better at the wards,” he said.
“People can travel to where the rolls are being updated to check their names. We will then produce a new preliminary roll.
“Then we will also have time to verify the preliminary roll. And we can produce a new updated and confirmed roll for the local level government elections.” Kalamorah said the commission had supported the decision to have the elections deferred.
“We wanted to have extra time to update the rolls. And when the LLG rolls are updated, it will be used in the general elections (in 2022).”
Kalamorah said more people participated in local level government elections than in the national election.
“That is because they see their candidates every day. They mingle with them and know them.
Voters turn out more at LLG elections than at general elections.”
Kalamorah said they would use whatever funds were available to update the roll in time for the LLG elections. He called on Government officers responsible for releasing the funds to do so.
Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato had said the Government had increased funding for the LLG elections from K100 million to K150 million.