Goi indicates changes at election head office

SWEEPING changes will be made to the PNG Electoral Commission management, Minister Assisting Prime Minister and responsible for constitutional agencies, Wake Goi, said yesterday.
Goi’s comments may regurgitate speculation in the office of Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen.
Goi said the compilation of the common roll in his new Jiwaka province, where he is member for Jimi, was “in shambles”.
“The way Jiwaka is could point to the same situation with the common roll in
many other provinces,” he  said.
“There is no way we can go forward with this common roll (in Jiwaka). We will need another allocation of K300,000 to K400,000 and a completely new team who must compile a common roll within two to three weeks time.”
It was alleged last week that out of K500,000 paid for the common roll exercise in 2011 for the three electorates of Jiwaka (Jimi, North Waghi and Anglimp-South Waghi), almost K400,000 was used to pay for expenses not directly related to the electoral roll update.
Returning officers, agents, team leaders and supervisors engaged in the roll are now angry and agitating for payment.
Also agitating for their share are providers of transport and fuel.
Goi said: “We will get to the bottom of this. Those responsible will be sidelined while they are investigated. If found guilty, they will face the law.
“We will make some changes at the management too so it will be felt right down through the rank.”
Trawen had assured the nation that the common roll was on track and that preliminary rolls for 11 out of the 22 provinces were already out for objection and that 2.4 million out of an estimated 4.3 million eligible voters were already captured in the rolls.