ABG election team wraps up induction in Bougainville

Morobe's Election Manager, Simon Soheke is currently attending a week-long induction in Bougainville, as the Returning Officer [RO] for the Autonomous Bougainville Government elections for Bougainvilleans living outside of Bougainville.

Mr Soheke was appointed to oversee the electoral process for Bougainvilleans outside of Bougainville [BOBs] where he will be responsible for leading awareness, enrolments etc, for Bougainvilleans living on mainland PNG.

Soheke will be joined by 5 of his Assistant Returning Officers [ARO], who will be stationed in the National Capital District, Morobe, East New Britain, Madang, and the Eastern Highlands Provinces to conduct the electoral processes.

“My AROs and I travelled with the ABG master rolls from Lae to Bougainville as of Monday, the 5th of May, to the induction in preparation for nominations. Master Rolls are similar to the common rolls of Papua New Guinea,” Soheke said.

Running the Kabwum by-election and the LLG elections in Morobe Province as well as the ABG elections concurrently, the Elections Manager told NBC News that elections for ABG in mainland PNG will be much easier, compared to the election process in Morobe Province.

He said this is because the names of the eligible voters will be recorded under each of the wards they are in, which will then be aligned under the constituencies that they fall under, with each of the constituencies then arranged under their respective districts.

The districts will, in turn, be aligned under the 3 regions of North, Central and South Bougainville.

“Unlike in Morobe or PNG, a team will be conducting the election process for each region or province, so we will have only 3 teams for each region. This means that if we select a location, all three teams will be stationed at that one location, and the people will identify themselves in the respective regions that their wards, constituencies and districts fall under,” he explained.

The Elections Manager elaborated that this process will be applied in AROB, as well as for Bougainvilleans in Morobe and the other 4 selected provinces to participate in their enrolment.

Mr Soheke said no nominations will be accepted outside of Bougainville, however, those Bougainvillean's outside Bougainville who wish to contest any seat in the ABG, will have to nominate in Bougainville.

The Induction was officially closed today by the Commissioner of the Office of Bougainville Electoral Commissioner [OBEC], Desmond Tsianai, with the PNG team for ABG Elections to return on Monday, 12th May, to kick start awareness and enrollments in June for AROB citizens in PNG.