Election officials urged to champion democracy

By ELIAS LARI
THE Ombudsman Commission is calling on election officials to ensure that people’s choices are respected because they will be effective for five years.
The commission has posted its officers at the counting centres to  observe the counting of votes.
Chief Ombudsman Michael Dick said in Mt Hagen counting must be transparent and leaders elected by the people must be allowed to represent them in Parliament.
He said the commission wanted to make sure that people’s choices had be to respected.
Dick said counting officials and those who were taking part in the process must be honest in doing their work according to the law.
“This is the people’s choice and you have to ensure that all counting is done on a good manner,” he said.
“What you see in the ballot boxes and the mark on the paper is the people’s choice.”
Dick told counting officials the general election came every five years and power was given to the people to choose leaders.
Dick said he sent his officers to all counting centres to ensure that transparency prevailed.