By DALCY LULUA
THE Member for Kikori and Minister for Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs, Hon Soroi Eoe, and Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) Commissioner, Simon Sinai, have announced the inclusion of new wards and Local Level Governments (LLGs) this year.
Minister Eoe detailed the changes, revealing the addition of 41 new LLGs and 583 new wards across the country. This expansion brings the total to 372 LLGs and 6,958 wards, up from the current 331 LLGs and 6,375 wards. These new administrative units will participate in the elections set for September 2024.
“This new increment will add more work in conducting the elections, and I am quite sure the Electoral Commissioner has taken note of this increase and has made preparations to accommodate these new wards and LLGs,” Minister Eoe said.
“This has already been gazetted, making it legally ready for elections to be conducted. There may be some minor changes that need to be made, so the deferment of LLG elections is giving us some time to make those minor changes, but otherwise, it should not interfere with our scenario.
“There have been some comments or requests made last minute, so I want to assure those members of Parliament that your people are not forgotten. We are taking a holistic approach to accommodate your needs so that there is fairness, everybody is covered, and nobody should be left behind.”
Mr. Sinai said that the Electoral Commission and the Department of Local Level Government Affairs should not be blamed for the creation of new wards and LLGs.
“The increment of the new wards and LLGs is happening within your own LLGs and provinces, and the people there want that to happen. They are making changes and proclaiming new council wards and establishing new LLGs,” he explained.
“It’s you in the province and LLG, you as a councillor, as the political head, and you as the provincial administration who wanted this.
He also stressed that the Electoral Commission has the task of identifying voters in the new LLG wards, determining which ones have been broken up, and setting new voters in a new ward and a new LLG. This alignment is necessary to confirm and create an electoral roll for them.
“If there is the creation of four or five wards from one ward, we need to confirm and align which people are going to which villages and council wards out of the 700, 1,000, or 2,000 people in a ward that was enrolled in the last election in 2022,” he said.
Mr. Sinai addressed the department, expressing his concerns about the timing and collaboration in the election preparations.
“We wish you would have done this earlier, and we have a cut-off time. Unfortunately, we have not worked together and cooperated,” he stated.
“Up to this time, we are now forced into running an election that needs to be corrected properly.”
He emphasized the need for cooperation, saying: “I have a task to reconcile with the LLG manager and with the province. Help us work together to align the LLG wards.”
