PNGEC releases funds for common roll updates

The PNG Electoral Commission has released funding to the provinces to pay those that have were involved with the updating of the common roll as of Monday this week

Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai told NBC News last night that more than K100,000.00 was released to respective provinces.

Mr. Sinai clarified that the payment of allowances for the polling and counting officials will be made once polling and counting commences.

He said "Madang, West Sepik, Morobe, East Sepik, some in New Guinea Islands, we have sent monies to the Provincial Trust Accounts so the Election Managers will start paying them into their accounts in the province, for the allowances for the enrolment exercise. This is just for enrolment. Polling is different and counting is different. When it happens, we are going to pay them."

Mr. Sinai also confirmed that the Australian Deputy Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope is currently in the country.

He says this is normal during National Elections.

"What happened was Deputy Commissioner Australia Electoral Commission Mr. Jeff Pope came to visit us. That's normal, like New Zealand used to come, Australia comes, all of this so. Because they printed the ballot papers and that, he just came to pay a visit to us before going into polling."

Meanwhile, the PNGEC has confirmed, election observers from overseas will mostly come from the Commonwealth nations to observe the election process.

Mr. Sinai says the election observers' coming to PNG to observe the election is co-coordinated by the United Nations.

NBC News / PNG Today

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