Lae civil servants given ‘day off’ for voting

By JUNIOR UKAHA
PUBLIC servants in Lae will take a “day-off” on Thursday to vote in the general election, according to acting Morobe administrator Sheila Harou.
Harou said it was not a gazetted public holiday but she was acting on a circular issued by Department of Personnel Management Secretary John Kali advising public servants in the province to take time off to vote.
The Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also advised its members to allow their employees “time off” to go and vote.
President Alan McLay told The National that Thursday was not a gazetted public holiday so people should still turn up for work.
“The onus is on the companies to allow their employees to go and vote,” McLay said.
“We have already advised members to allow their workers time off to go and vote. This is a once in a while event so, as much as possible, we want every eligible Papua New Guinean to vote for their leaders.”
Lae, Ahi, Wampar Urban and Nawaeb Urban will one-day polling from 8am to 6pm on Thursday.
Lae and Ahi will have 55 polling stations with an equal number of polling teams covering the 16 wards.
92,000-plus people are expected to vote in Ahi and Lae for the Lae open seat and the regional seat.
Harou said: “It is the democratic right of every eligible Papua New Guinean voter to vote for his or her candidate.”