The New Ireland Provincial Election Steering Committee has endorsed one day polling for New Ireland Province and is pending approval of the Electoral Commissioner.
While reading the statement during the recent New Ireland Legislative Assembly sitting, Deputy Governor Sammy Missen said one day polling is possible for New Ireland Province. “We have conducted one day polling for the 2019 LLG Elections and successfully delivered. With this experience we are ready for one day polling, pending approval from the Electoral Commissioner. “
According to the Election calender Nomination period begins on the 28th of April to the 05th of May. Campaign period for 58 days starting 28th April to the 24th of June. Polling period 4 days from 25th June to 08th July. Counting period 22 days from 09th July to 29th July.
Missen said there will be over 142 polling teams covering 142 wards of the LLGs in the Province. With security planning for the 2022 NGE being worked on by the Provincial Police Commander. “Police manpower shortage is a major concern but the option to utilize the auxiliary police and village court peace officers in the province will help.”
The counting venues as endorsed by the PESC are Stamper Hall in Namatanai Town for the Namatanai Open seat. National Fisheries college for the Kavieng Open Seat and NIP Regional seat counting will be done at the respective Open electorate counting centres but the counting centres will be maintained at the main tally centre at the National Fisheries college.
The New Ireland Government will be allocating over half a million kina to support the Electoral Commission to assist in delivering free, fair and safe election and on time.
On administrative support the Provincial Administrator will release all public servants in the Province to assist the PNGEC to conduct the one day election if approved for one day polling by the Electoral Commissioner.
Meanwhile the New Ireland Government has established a computerized data management system to record all data from village record books. Data recorded at the beginning of March shows there are a total of 76, 243 eligible voters out of the total population of 170,053 in NIP. 34,756 for Kavieng and 41,487 for Namatanai.
However Missen clarified that the data collected was not part of the Electoral Commissions Electoral roll data. Instead it gives an indication on the type of data the village record system is able to capture.
10 village record books from Three LLG’s including Namatanai LLG, Matalai and Sentral are yet to submitted.