South Korea ready to assist PNG in National Elections

A South Korea team was in Port Moresby to assist in the organisation’s ICT pilot project on electoral management system.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato said last Friday that three officials from the South Korean Government completed a three-day fact finding mission last week.

The team was from the South Korea Association of World Election Body.

They were interested in seeing and discussing ICT developments and whether there were opportunities to assist PNG Electoral Commission.

Mr Gamato said the South Korea Government and its people expressed their kind gesture and willingness to assist PNG. Their involvement was initiated from discussions when Mr Gamato met with the South Korean Ambassador last year to seek technical support for the 2017 National Election.

"Out of that meeting we sent seven of our staff to South Korea for two weeks to learn from them. After our visit, three of their experts have come to see our ICT capacities and capabilities in voter registration, voter verification and electronic voting.

"South Korea has the capabilities of advancing our voters registration and verification system into high tech.

"They can develop some good electoral systems using ICT for us.

"For this election, time is against us but maybe for future electoral systems and projects, we can look to South Korea and India to develop our capabilities. South Korea is prepared to fund a pilot project as well as to provide support to PNGEC.