Let us do our job: EC

By DEMAS TIEN
Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato has urged intending candidates for next year’s general election to let his office deal with the electoral process.
Gamato told The National that intending candidates “should be concentrating on running for election”.
Gamato made the comments after he was informed that four intending candidates for the National Capital District regional seat petitioned him to provide a fair and free election.
The candidates are Michael Badui, Bonny Igime, Saraga Saki Hanua and Michael Kandiu.
The candidates asked Gamato to address issues regarding common roll update system and deployment, age limitations on common roll, census registration and political neutrality in the officials appointed to serve in the general election, particularly in NCD.
They recommended that the common roll update be done using the traditional method, which was door-to-door common roll update system.
They said the door-to-door method was more effective than gathering everyone to a certain location to update the common roll.
They said there was no age limitations that would restrict the people from exercising their constitutional right to vote.
They said that every citizen above the age of 18 had the right to vote.
They asked Gamato to appoint electoral officers that had no political ties with the incumbent MPs.
They also asked Gamato to take into account the influx of people that had relocated in the last five years to NCD and formed new settlements.
The four also appealed to the commissioner of police to disband the reserve police unit employed by the National Capital District Commission.
They claimed the reserve police unit was employed by the incumbent governor and for that reason, it should be disbanded and not be involved in the election next year.