ELECTORAL boundaries need urgent review due to increase in population in various electorates, says Acting Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.
Mr Sinai made the remarks this afternoon at a press conference when announcing the new members of the Electoral Boundaries Commission at the Hohola Electoral Commission headquarters.
They are Francis Kaugerua, McRonald Nale, acting Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai (Chairman) and John Igitoi.
He said PNG’s electoral boundaries of 89 electorates were set since 1977; just after independence and is long overdue since the population of PNG has increased.
“A review of the electoral boundaries is well over due and needs to be done. Divide 8.7 million by the 89 electorates and you get an estimate of the population in each electorate,” Mr Sinai said.
The country’s population is 8.7 million according to the 2011 Census Report indicating that the population in electorates throughout the country has increased substantially.
Mr Sinai said by law an electorate is allowed a maximum population of 50,000 people.
“But as you can see today the population in certain electorates is well over the range,” he said.
Mr Sinai stressed that by law the Boundaries Commission must do a review of each electorates before a general election to assess the population and make recommendations to Parliament to allow for new electorates.
The recommendations are made in a report and tabled to parliament for passage before implemented.
But since 1977 the Electoral Boundaries Commission has been tabling reports after reports to Parliament and accepted but not implemented, he said.
Mr Sinai added that with the appointment of the new committee members for the Electoral Boundaries Commission, of which he is chairman, they hope to conduct a review and recommend in a report to Parliament in its next session.
The Commission has K14 million earmarked in its budget thus; Mr Sinai is urging the government and the Department of Finance and Treasury to release the funds so that it can be able to carry out the review.