EC facing challenges

THE Electoral Commission is facing challenges emanating from socio-economic, infrastructure, cultural and political issues in delivering the 2017 national election, Patilias Gamato says.
He, therefore, has advised election officials to tighten their belts and manage the election with the limited resources at their disposal.
Gamato said the challenges included funding constraints, organisational incapacities and incapability, outdated structures, electoral management systems and processes, legislative challenges, transport and infrastructure, socio-economic and political environments they are   required to manage.
“You will appreciate that some othese challenges are beyond our control and outside our domains,” he said.
“Yet they impact our abilities and capabilities to deliver
election services under the Constitution.”
He made these remarks  during a training in Lae last week where he addressed electoral managers and returning officers in the from Mamose region.
Similar training is being conducted in the Highlands, the New Guinea Islands and Central, with the aim to  train the officials about nominations, polling and counting votes  under the new limited preferential voting (LPV) electoral systems.