Malaita is in support of the holding of Simultaneous Election’, this was the common sentiment shared by the Malaita Provincial Assembly members and the stakeholder representatives during the two days consultation workshop on the proposed electoral reforms that was held in Auki on the 19th and 20th September, 2022.

Amongst the many proposed amendments to the election laws for provincial assembly and the parliament, the Malaita provincial assembly members were quite vocal about aligning the provincial assembly term with the current parliamentary term.

“With parliamentary term being now extended to 31 December 2023, we the assembly members strongly recommended that the provincial assemblies’ term be extended as well, in order for us to have simultaneous election”, One of the MPA, Hon Francis shared his view during the consultation meeting.

Vote Secrecy is one of the main principles of Elections. Electoral laws and developed electoral procedures must ensures that vote secrecy is protected.

Acting Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Fredrick Bosoboe said that laws and procedures are in place to ensure that each vote is totally secret and to gain voters’ confidence in the processes so that, they can exercise right to vote, freely.

Mr. Bosoboe explained that counting systems used for the two elections are different.

Tomorrow (Today) is polling day for all three by-elections in Malaita.  Voters from Ward 18 in East Kwaio and Ward 28 in West Kwaio along with West Kwaio National By-Elections are going to the poll to vote their representatives to the provincial assembly and the national government.

Election Manager for the West Kwaio By-Election and Returning Officer for ward 18 and Ward 28 provincial assembly elections Mr. David Filia Tuita, urged voters from these electoral wards to take on the opportunity and exercise their right to participate in the polling.

Mr. Tuita remind voters that voting starts at 7am to 5pm in the evening. Trained Election Officials will be deployed in time to respective polling stations before the opening of polls to receive voters.

“Voting procedures at the polling station remains the same as in previous election. A voter has to turn up at their designated and correct polling station where his/her name appears before he or she can allow to cast a vote”, Mr. Tuita said.

2 gazettes were issued yesterday by the Commission with matters relating to the Pre-poll Voting venue for eligible Polling Officers and Counting details for the West Kwaio By-Election.

The pre-poll venue is now at Bina Village, which will also host the training of all poll workers. Pre-poll will be conducted for poll workers only on 19 September 2022 in the afternoon.

Counting of votes for the by-election will be held from 9 am on the 22 - 23 September 2022, at the Green House, Malaita Assembly Chambers Building in Auki.

For Ward 18 and 28, the Counting of Votes will also be held at the same venue, in Auki, beginning on the 22 September 2022.

End//

SIEO Press

Saturday 17th  September we dispatched all printed provisional voter lists to Choiseul and Western Provinces for the continuation of the voter registration update for the respective provinces.

Following 2 weeks of intense data processing of all data collected from both provinces our data center teams have completed;

The consultation on the Electoral Reform to synchronize elections in the country continues for the three remaining provinces.

The Taskforce on Electoral Reform consulted Members of Rennell and Bellona Provincial Assembly on Wednesday 14th September this week and will be consulting its stakeholders towards the end of this year.

This would be the 7th meeting of its scheduled consultations with members of provincial assemblies for the 10 provinces including the Honiara City Council.