Intending candidates campaigned outside the official campaign period

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission has evidence that certain intending candidates are campaigning outside the official campaign period.

The official campaign period will only begin after the announcement of the election date by his Excellency the Governor General, Sir Frank Ofagioro Kabui.

But Chief Electoral Officer, Mose Saitala told local journalists last week they now have evidence of people conducting illegal campaign activities.

“I have with now several documentations about people who actually are campaigning already. So we have to just submit those to the police and say look we have these issues here for you to look at based on this complain.

“In other words petitions are already with us here. So that’s why I said it’s very difficult to answer that question whether I am sure everything will be alright, I don’t think everything will be alright because of this wider nest of grounds that petitions will be originated from”.

Meanwhile on multiple registrations, Mr Saitala said a total of one hundred and six cases are currently before the Commission saying, they can all be prosecuted.

“One hundred and six, they can all be prosecuted for that. But even hundred and six i doubt the police have the capacity to work on them so we are going first with the biggest offender, maybe thirty is the highest and biggest offender.

“Then we will go slowly if we have a lot of time but you know, those are the offenders that have already occurred now. There are many more things that will come very soon.

“Offenders like campaigning outside the campaign period is coming, it’s only less than a month before we can pinpoint those who have been doing that.”

By: Rickson J Bau