Sinai suggests photo ID for elections

By REBECCA KUKU
THE Electoral Commission is considering introducing a photo roll voter registration system for future elections, says commissioner Simon Sinai.
Sinai, who has just returned from witnessing the general elections in the Solomon Islands, said registration of voters through photo identification would be a way forward for genuine and credible elections.
“We need to start the conversation now to promote a credible voter roll that promotes and protects election integrity in future elections,” Sinai said.
“It will be a massive task with logistics and operational requirements to achieve, but with support from stakeholder consultations, the people, all agencies of government, we can do this while we prepare for the 2027 General Elections,” he said.
He said that elections in the Solomon Islands was very peaceful.
“People moving around freely and casting their votes in a peaceful environment.
It was a one-day polling and counting was conducted in each district in all nine provinces and completed in three days and the results were known immediately.”
Sinai said both the parliamentary and local level government elections were held simultaneously in each province and counting was conducted in the districts and results were made known in three days.
“Voters are registered on the biometric photo roll system, which clearly helps to identify the voter, there is no cheating, no double voting.
One person, one vote and voter identification and roll update is managed by each LLG at the ward level which adds value and integrity to the system,” he said.
Sinai said that was the election management system that needed to be applied in PNG.
“I hope that with the support of all stakeholders, we too can have a biometric photo roll registration before our next elections,” he said.