Returning officers and Assistant Returning Officers will be travelling to respective LLGs in the next two weeks to display the common rolls for voters to see if their names are listed on the roll. The display is for voter and public information.
Roland Poonurea, Returning Officer for West New Britain’s new Nakanai Electorate, has 43 ward rolls and all will be on public display.
“Display of the common roll for Nakanai Open I have Mossa LLG with 8 wards, Hoskins LLG has 9 wards, Central Nakanai LLG with 13 wards and East Nakanai LLG 13 wards. Only time will tell when we go to deliver the display of the common rolls. We are now talking about where we will get funding to move the rolls for display,” Mr Poonurea said.
He said a meeting was held to discuss the matter of dispatching ward rolls to respective LLGs and; it would take them at least 2 weeks. They will need to deliver awareness first on the common rolls.
Mr Poonuera believes there will be hostility during the awareness, but he is hopeful that on the 2nd week they will get commentaries from the display and be able to inform Provincial Election Steering Committee (PESC) and PNG Electoral Commission of the next point of action.
Talasea Returning Officer Martin Linge said the display of the rolls is a necessary component of election activities simply so that voters know and confirm their names and that of other eligible voters in their areas who can vote.
“I confirm that we now have the rolls distributed to us from the electoral office here in Kimbe. We currently have the rolls for Balivitu LLG, Talasea and Kimbe. I will need to sit with my managers and assistant ROs to discuss the plan and strategy to organize and move the logistics according to the plan,” said Linge.
The logistic plans for areas like Balivitu will require fuel for dinghies to transport teams, while teams will travel by road to wards in Talasea and Kimbe.