PWDs register to vote – The National

By LULU MAGINDE
SIXTY-eight Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) can cast their votes this year, some for the first time, after being registered on the common roll yesterday in Port Moresby.
Courtesy of the National Capital District (NCD) election office, the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) and the NCD Disabilities Advocacy Agency (NCDDAA), PWDs with their families, showed up in force to register per their electorates at the National Museum.
On the confirmed list submitted to the NCD electoral office were 76 names, eight of which were active voters, so the enrolment carried out yesterday was for the 68 new voters.
Assistant election manager Roselyne Tabogani said that her office had arranged for two 25-seater buses for the 76 expected registrants from the three different electorates; Moresby South, Moresby North West and Moresby North East.

**New and first time voters including persons living with disabilities waiting to register their names in the common roll in Port Moresby yesterday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI**

This event followed months of discussions between the NCD DAA, the PNGEC and the NCDC electoral office, as those who
were able to make it to the venue on their own were waiting for the rest of the group coming from Cheshire disability services or from the national rehabilitation centre.
“According to the confirmed list submitted, we are expecting 76 of them and the buses have been hired for the day so they can go and pick up anyone that was left out along with their interpreters,” she said.
In attendance was NCD election manager Kila Ralai as well as officials from the PNGEC, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, as well as representatives from the various organisations
for persons with disabilities in NCD.
There were four officers in total, three enrolment agents; two enrolling for Moresby South, one for North East with a ward supervisor standing in for the missing enrolment agent for Moresby North West.
“We will have them vote in their wards and location, so far we have had 16 active voters so those that were not on the list, we’re including them now,” said Tobogani.
She said the updated lists from registrations would be handed over to the polling officers, signifying that they were PWDs.
“During polling there will be three lines, the gender split lines and the unseen (express), which will be prioritised for PWDs, the elderly and expecting mothers,” she said.
“Come polling time they will be treated as normal voters but we will ensure that officers are aware of their disability so that the team can know what to expect and provide an interpreter if they should require one.”

Police ready for election

By REBECCA KUKU
Funding for the election security operation is not an issue, says Police Minister William Onglo.
Onglo said funding for the election security operation would be given out in quarters, from the issuing of the writs to polling and counting.
He said this after concerns were raised by some provincial police commanders on when the provinces would receive their funding for the election security operations.
But Onglo said that the funds would be made available according to the planned schedules.
“Learning from the past, we don’t want to release everything at the same time, the money will be made available as election progresses in stages,” he said.
“But let me clarify that there is no issue with funding for the election security operation.
“The provinces will get their funds, we have already spoken with them, they are aware, so no there is no funding issue.”
One provincial police commander who spoke to The National anonymously said that they needed the funds to launch their security operation and start their pre-election security operation.