The Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission has clarified that the Biometric has three parts to it: 1. Data setting, enrolment of voter names. 2. Voting process and 3. The counting and result management process.
Acting Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai admits that time is already against us but if the Government can source us the required funding, it can be possible to deliver according to the test did in recent samples and elections.
We are currently looking into the first part, voters data and verify voters on the current existing roll and maintain it and enroll new voters and those who missed out to enroll in 2017.
The cost to roll out a roll verification system across PNG is estimated to cost some K230 million. This is a lot of money but given past election records, this is within our affordable cost.
Last 2012 cost close to K800 million, 2017 cost K400 million, a cost for enrolment into election proper. If we establish this system with a photo roll, we will spend less to maintain the roll comes 2027.
This exercise can be rolled out in less than 12 months period, but truly time is against us.
If the funds are timely appropriated, I am sure and confident that we are technical ready to take it head and divider.
We have had enough of hijacking of elections and its results by bullying citizens.
We start blaming the PNG EC for such, not knowing the truths involved when managing the activities. I wish to see people change first for the better and take ownership in managing our election.
I am in the business of establishing a way forward with a platform for us to help build and restore credibility back into the power of electing the best prepared leaders for the country using the election process with correct fundamentals of management such as the voters list.
When that is corrected to our want, we have some confidence in the process and system.
This is why the attitude of our doing is prompting alternative remedies such as the biometric system that can bring about some confidence and interest back to the Democratic election process in PNG.
If you don’t know, let me remind us that, Election is everybody’s business and not PNGEC alone who is the managing entity of the Government towards facilitating the constitutional process by virtue of its powers and functions.
The outcome of every service is very much dependent on a collaborative effort by every stakeholders from all works of life.
I require a straight and true list of voters and that is my dream to see from here and onwards. The biometric system may be the one that many out there are finding to control and detect election robbery in PNG.
We are not honest with ourselves at the voting place where you turn up to see, forceful, double voting, and intimidating voters, we just don’t have a freedom of right to vote by certain people. This has to stop somewhere.
If we are not prepared and learn to respect the services, laws and elections, we are forced to sacrifice our development funds to use first things we should not be thinking of.
I’m progressing with little changes into the election process to have a better and respected elections in the future, and moving with greater objectives, please throw in ideas and with me for the good of elections in PNG and hold me accountable if I fail to deliver.
Please try me out as I am focused towards restoring credibility into the election process. I shall soon outline number of changes taken on the management process as we endeavor to deliver a just, free, fair and credible election, 2022.