www.postcourier.com.pg/20120227/mohome.htm
PAPUA New Guinea’s 2012 election faces a deferral if the government has its way because of the controversial figures of the Electoral Roll.
But according to the Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, Papua New Guinea needs to prepare for Royal Visit by Prince Charles and his wife Lady Carmila.
The royal couple are expected in PNG visiting in the middle of the June Elections.
Mr Namah told Parliament last Friday that PNG does not want to be internationally embarrassed to receive the future King in the middle of the June Elections, therefore the visit warrants the deferral of the elections.
Parliamentarians have also raised the prospect of delaying the June 2012 elections, this is in addition to the government questioning the figures in the electoral commissioner’s report, tabled in parliament last Friday by Leader of Government Business Moses Maladina on behalf of Minister assisting Prime Minister Waka Goi.
The report by Electoral commissioner Andrew Trawen on poll preparations has stated that the electoral roll was about 60 percent complete, which also detailed that 40 percent of the roll was yet to be completed.
This meant that only 2.4 million of PNG’s four million eligible voters are registered.
“Preparations to date include the registration of 2.4 million eligible voters on the Preliminary Electoral Roll out of anticipated four (4) million eligible voters.
“This means the Roll is approximately 60 percent complete and covers most of the open electorates in the southern, New Guinea islands and the Mamose regions,” Mr Maladina said.
“I have since received independent reports that this is not correct,” Mr Maladina said. He said that the electoral commissioner admitted that there were some “pockets” within (the Southern, New Guinea Islands and Mamose) regions, which were still incomplete.
He also said that he had received independent reports that electoral rolls for the nation’s 89 open electorates had not been returned to many electorates.
In his report Mr Maladina read out the need for more police funding, a K25 million shortfall that police are currently seeking from the Government.
These are additional funds from the K105 million already dispatched to police for their security operations.
This also include K35 million for PNGDF, K9.6 million for Correctional Services and an additional K16 million from donors to add to the K180 million given to the Electoral Commission to prepare for the elections bringing the total of K330.5 million altogether for this whole 2012 national General Elections.
Electoral Commissioner Trawen last night maintained he would be ready to go to polls come April 27, 2012 when writs would be issued.
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