S.I.C.E ADVISED MEDIA TO REPORT ACCURATELY AND FAIRLY
The Electoral Office has advised the media to report accurately on the registration exercise. Photo: Courtesy of EU Media Forum
The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission has advised the media to report accurately and fairly on the Biometric Voter Registration exercise, so as not to confuse the people.
Chief Electoral Officer, Polycarp Haununu said media plays a vital role in informing the masses on the registration exercise, but it has to do so with accuracy and fairness.
Speaking to local reporters in a media conference yesterday, Mr. Haununu said any inaccurate reporting would confuse the people as well as the whole registration exercise.
“What I’d like to say here is if we disseminate the wrong information, it will confuse the whole exercise that we will carry out, and once it has confused voters, it means that the Voter Registration exercise will not be done properly, so for the media, report properly so that it will help our people to know their rights to go to the voter registration exercise so that they can registered.”
The Chief Electoral Officer also encouraged the media to work closely with his office in ensuring that people are properly and accurately informed about the registration exercise.
He encouraged all eligible voters to go and register at their nearest registration centers, starting Monday next week.
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer says all eligible voters must take note of a Form A notice that will be carried at all voter registration centers.
Explaining the documents contents and its purpose to local reporters yesterday, Mr. Haununu said the Form A notice informs the public about Voter Registration Centres locations, and its opening dates and times.
“We have a notice, which is called “Form A Notice” and in this notice the registration officer invites eligible electors who decide to be registered to go to a certain polling station for the period from the 10th to the 17th on VRC 1 and VRC 2 on the 18th March an so on, so on the Form A Notice it informs the public where or which VRC will open on which dates.”
While the voter registration program is not compulsory, the Chief Electoral Officer says whether people choose to register or not, they must do it within the given period.
SIBC News understands the Biometric Voter Registration exercise will run for 40 days, starting on Monday next week.