Trawen slams Mona’s claim

 By SHIRLYN BELDEN 

ELECTORAL Commissioner Andrew Trawen has hit out at comments made by Goilala MP Daniel Mona to have the funds for the LLG election managed by Electoral Commission investigated. 

Trawen said in a statement the Electoral Commission had signed a memorandum of agreement with the Central Provincial Government to counterfund the LLG election in the province.

Mona told Parliament that he was disappointed that the LLG election in Goilala was not properly managed as he had spent substantial amounts from the DSIP funds to transport officials. 

Mona claimed the commission was slack and had not properly budgeted for the election and should be investigated by the Task Force Sweep. 

Trawen said under the agreement K500,000 had been appropriated by the Central administration to cover polling allowances, patrol advances, security, transportation and logistics. 

“The claims by Mona are not in order and we believe he was being misled by people with vested interests,” he said. 

“PNGEC had budgeted for K80 million for the 2013 LLG elections but the government had only gave K50 million – a funding shortfall of K30 million. 

“In the light of this huge funding shortfall, PNGEC in its wisdom came up with this MoA arrangement with 20 provincial administrations to counter-fund the election. 

“The agreements are still in place and the provincial administrations are doing all they can to assist the EC meet necessary needs like manpower, security, transportation of officials and logistics.”