University students carry out poll awareness

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday 03rd Febuary 2012

By GABRIEL LAHOC
A GROUP of university students is undertaking an election awareness exercise in the Huon Gulf district, Morobe, in a bid to reduce the number of informal votes cast there.
The man leading the students, Elliot Borezi, said there had been more than 8,000 informal votes in the 2007 general election in
the district.
But the team of university students from the district could not garner enough support from the provincial electoral office, the district administration and business houses.
Only local company, Coastal Freighters has provided them with transportation and logistics.
Starting from 40-Mile outside Lae, the team covered the Nadzab, 9-Mile, 2-Mile and yesterday ended up at the populous Aigris market, where dinghies from the Labu and Salamaua usually arrive.
The students went through the election process, especially the technicalities of the limited preferential voting system, good governance as well as challenging the people to embrace education for their children.
Borezi told the people that because the large number of informal votes, there was a need to educate the people, especially the elderly and illiterate voters.
The team will use the remaining week to educate coastline communities from Labu, Salamaua and Morobe.