Solomon Islands Electoral Commission will move few miles forward along the road that leads to voters' list improvement.

In preparation towards the implementation of voter registration center model of registration in 2013, the office of Solomon Islands Electoral Commission will start its pre-activities' program this week.

Chief Electoral Officer Polycarp Haununu said that the Identification and Assessment of Voter Registration Centre Program (IAVRCP) is the initial step to this voter registration centre registration 2013. The program will be under-taken to assess and review all the polling places used in 2010 National General Election for their suitability to be used as voter registration centers (VRCs) in 2013.

Mr Haununu said that a one week training will be held for fifty (50) identification and assessment officers and (10) provincial accountants (one assessor/constituency and one accountant per province) who will financially administer this nationwide program at Gina' Conference Room starting on the 5th-9th November 2012.

"To ensure that, the new voter registration model is implemented out efficiently in next years' voter registration exercise, Identification and Assessment of Voter Registration Center Program (IAVRCP) needs carrying out. This program is set to take place in the coming weeks before the end of this year", Mr. Haununu said.

"Identification and assessment of voter registration center program is the first and most essential step to this new voter registration center model. It will be carried out across the Solomon Islands, in every ward in every electoral Constituency at the same time nationally".

Operation Manager Mr. Freddie Bosoboe said that all the information that will capture from this program will be used as the basis for finalizing the administration, management, budgeting, procurement and logistic arrangements in preparation for the actual roll out of the new VRC program in 2013.

He further explained that the program is aiming at assessing and identifying the followings:-
1.The availability, type and confirmation of voter registration centers venues and sites -such as, schools and church halls, etc
2.Identify alternate premises for use as VRCs
3.Identify and confirm the need for additional VRCs where required.
4.Infrastructures available to use during the implementation of the VRC program in 2013.
5.Number of VRCs required to be establishing in 2013 voter registration.
6.Fixed staffing numbers for the whole voter registration center program in 2013.
7.Allotments of villagers to a particular Voter Registration Centre.
8.Re-viewing and re-establishing fixed ward and constituency boundary lines
9.Plotting of available VRCs on maps and catchment areas( villages/Areas)

Fifty (50) Voter Registration Centre assessors have been assigned to these constituencies and will have to cover and assess the VRCs in every ward within a time span of two weeks.

"It has intended that an officer will be required to visit to every single VRC in her/his to make on-the-site assessments and have dialogue with the responsible local authorities regarding the identifying and assessing possible and available venues to be used as VRCs in 2013 voter registration", He added.

The one week training will enable electoral staffs to train and provide all these officers with all the knowledge and the necessary materials, tool, and stationaries to carry out the assessment effective, efficient and thoroughly before deploying them into the field for the assessment exercise.

The voter registration officers have flown into Honiara for training from provinces over the weekend and training is starting today at Gina's Conference room starting at 9:00am. It is expected to complete by Friday 9th November and all officers are to deploy into the field in the week that follows for two weeks of assessment work in the constituencies.

Solomon Islands Electoral Commission calls for cooperation from all local authorities and communities members to support this important program and assist the officers when they come around your area.

Together we can move few miles forward along this bumpy and narrow road as we begin this long journey to universal standard of electoral good practice.


Sourece: Press Release, Electoral Commission