Lady Winifred Kamit , a resident of Port Moresby South electorate, has expressed great disappointment in the management and conduct of the 2017 national election in PNG, and particularly in the National Capital District electorates.
Lady Kamit, who had taken the trouble to check the electoral roll that was published in the PNG Electoral Commission website, and had confirmed her name was registered, was deeply saddened when, she turned up at the polling booth but was turned away because her name was not on the roll used by the electoral officials.
“Casting one’s vote is an individual’s right to express a personal choice for a parliamentary representative. Denying that opportunity to anyone is a miscarriage of a right in a democratic system of government Papau New Guinea has.”
Lady Kamit, in a short statement, said she has cast her votes in past elections, including the last one, and she cannot believe how relevant authorities could not manage and conduct the election in a more effective and improved manner having regard to lessons learned from past elections.
“It is unacceptable what has happened in NCD this week.
The Electoral Commissioner has a duty to not only explain to the public how in NCD , the easiest of all ” provinces” could not showcase an efficient and incident-free election, but also, for him, to admit his failure to perform his duties as a Constitutional officer under law.