NIP BY ELECTION STARTS, NO NAMES OF VOTERS ON COMMON ROLL
BY FRANKIY KAPIN in Kavieng
POLLING in the New Ireland province for the regional by election continues into day two today following a smooth start as scheduled yesterday -19 January 2026.
Provincial Police Commander Chief Superintendent Albert Beli in his day one round up, summarized the national event without hiccups as far as security is concerned having all personal dispatched to respective poling venues in the province.
PPC Beli acknowledged the one day polling starting for Kavieng urban LLG yesterday out of the 10 LLGs in New Ireland.
The photo roll exercise was also conducted concurrently in 21 polling sites of the Kavieng Urban LLG by 20 polling teams.
Provincial Election Manager Benjamin Kliawi confirmed that Namatanai and Matalai LLGs started polling yesterday as well, while Sentral Niu Ailan, Nimamar, Konoagil, Lavongai, Tikana and Murat starts tomorrow- Wednesday January 21st and Tanir LLG set for Friday.
As the polling for the New Ireland Regional By-election enters its second day, many eligible voters have been turned away due to having no names in the common roll.
Among many turned away at polling booths, Maylene Andom a public servant with the department of Works in New Ireland said despite the updating of common roll eligible voters keep on missing out as names are not on the roll.
She says, most names on common roll are of dead relatives and but not so much of people who are still alive.
Andom said as a resident of the province she is being denied the rights to vote due to the common roll mishap.
Also 15 years resident of Kavieng town Jeffery Anio voting in ward 2 of Kavieng urban LLG also expressed dissatisfaction finding out his name not on the common roll an unable to vote.
He said there is nothing that can be done now by the polling officials to allow eligible voters participate in the exercise all because the updating has been a failure all along.
Meanwhile, Polling is set in all 10 LLGs representing 142 wards in the province with a total of 156 polling teams on site carrying out the exercise.
Ballot papers for Tanir LLG was delayed to be transported out over the weekend due to the weather and alternatives are being sorted to have them delivered by Thursday this week according to Mr Kliawi.
Polling ends January 30th.
