By GINNAH MINI
THE Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) and Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) have hosted a joint security workshop bringing together officials from the two institutions to strengthen security planning, coordination, and preparedness for the delivery of safe, credible and inclusive election in 2027 (2027 NGE).
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Acting Electoral Commissioner Margaret Vagi, said that the collaboration is to ensure that the 2027 NGE is safe, credible and trusted by the people of Papua New Guinea.
Mrs. Vagi noted that election security is not the responsibility of one institution alone as no single agency can deliver a secure election.
“When we work together, we are stronger; when we operate separately, gaps emerge that can undermine the entire process,” Mrs. Vagi said.
Mrs. Vagi highlighted the interconnected roles of the two institutions:
●The Electoral Commission administers elections, ensuring they are conducted properly and in accordance with the law.
●The Police provide law and order and the security that allows these processes to unfold safely.
She noted that effective election security requires joint risk assessment, shared planning, and coordinated deployment.
“Timely and trusted exchange of information between the EC and the police enables early warning, rapid response, and better decision-making,” she said.
“When the public sees our institutions working together-professionally and in coordination-it sends a powerful signal of control neutrality and credibility,” Mrs. Vagi said while adding that the visibility is critical to maintaining trust in the process.
The EC noted that given the record of violence in past elections, this joint collaboration is to ensure that the integrity of the election is protected as well as the confidence of the nation.
The Acting Electoral Commissioner has urged provincial election managers and local police commanders to work together on planning, deployment, logistics, and incident response-especially in high-risk areas.