PM: PNG ready for election

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill said Papua New Guinea was ready for the election.
“The time has come. Our people want it, the law demands it, so let’s go for it,” he said yesterday, after holding discussions with the chief secretary and the electoral commissioner.
Parliament will have its final sitting starting today. The writs for the general election will be issued on Friday.
“We have reached the end of this five-year cycle. We must return to the people for the mandate for the next parliament.
“It is the proper thing to do.
“This is the view of the People’s National Congress party and all its coalition partners in government,” O’Neill said.
During a visit to his electorate in Ialibu on Sunday, he received complaints of names not being on the common roll, and voters disagreeing with names listed in alphabetical order, rather than in family order.
Even former Ialibu-Pangia MP Roy Yaki asked that O’Neill use his powers to defer the elections by three or four months to fix problems in the common roll.
But he told them the election could not be deferred.
“I don’t have the power to defer the election.
“If anyone knows the law that gives me the power, show me.
“Parliament also does not have that power.
“Yes, I agree there are problems with the common roll. No common roll has ever been perfect.
“Where names do not appear, I have asked the electoral commissioner to allow supplementary rolls to be used.
“That is within his power and discretion, and I have asked Chief Secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to impress this strongly to the electoral commissioner.
“I want to assure everyone that our government will do everything possible to assist the Electoral Commission in ensuring that all eligible voters are given every opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”