Electoral Commission urged to combine elections to save costs

 By ZACHERY PER

SIMBU provincial administrator Joe Kunda has called on the Electoral Commission to combine the local level and national elections to save costs.

He said this after observing the LLG elections in Chimbu and casting his vote at Mirane Ward last Wednesday.

Kunda said funding and security problems at polling stations hampered the LLG elections.

“All these problems would be minimised if we combined the two elections,” he said

He said the voter would be given four ballot papers at the polling booth  – one for the ward council, one for the LLG president, one for the Open MP and one for the regional MP.

“No unnecessary cost would be incurred in terms of security, allowances, hire cars, accommodation etc.”

Provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe has criticised how people abused the election process in the province.

“I condemn supporters of candidates coming from the same village equally dividing the ballot papers for first preferences votes  between themselves and allow the voters to vote for second and third preferences,” Wampe said. 

“Is this an expression of constitutional rights?”

He said the introduction of a voter identification system would allow voters to fully exercise their democratic rights.