SOLOMON ISLANDS EXPERIENCED HIGHEST EVER VOTER TURNOUT
Chief Electoral Officer Polycarp Haununu. Photo credit: SIBC.
Solomon Islands has experienced its highest ever voter turnout, with almost 90 percent of all registered voters casting a ballot during the November 19 National General Election.
Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Polycarp Haununu told SIBC yesterday, this is a great success for the SIEC and for our country as a whole.
Mr Haununu acknowledges everyone who made the effort to get to their polling station on Election Day and exercise their democratic right.
In the 2010 National General Election, voter turnout was just 52 percent though the Commission says that figure does not take into account the large number of multiple registrations and deceased persons that were on the roll prior to the introduction of Biometric Voter Registration.
The SIEC says the voter turnout figure compares favourably with other countries in the region.
Mr Haununu says, in the Fijian National Election earlier this year, voter turnout was around 84 percent and in the New Zealand National Election turnout was 78.9 percent.
He says, the high turnout is particularly pleasing, following the success of the new Biometric Voter Registration system.