One day voting for Bougainville General Elections

The Office of Bougainville Electoral Commission, OBEC, says it will employ a one-day polling, to ensure it enhances transparency in the process, and that instances of double or multiple voting, or any other corrupt practices are discouraged.

OBEC Commissioner, Desmond Tsianai, says the one-day polling model is not something new.

Bougainville had employed this model since 2019 during the Referendum on Independence and subsequent community government and constituency by-elections since then.

Commissioner Desmond Tsianai further says, the observance of a one-day polling does not mean those who are unable to cast their votes on September 4 will be left out.

He’s explained that there will be exceptions for extra polling days, for locations where voters may be unable to cast their ballots on the initial day of polling, for whatever genuine reasons.

Meantime, Bougainvilleans living in the highland's provinces of Chimbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands are making plans to travel down to Goroka in Eastern Highlands Province to cast their votes on polling day on September 4.

Fabian Komu is president of the Eastern End Bougainville Association.

Komu says there’s up to 200 Bougainvilleans living, working and studying in the Eastern End provinces, and the Association is working on how it can help eligible voters get to Goroka to cast their votes.

Polling will also take place in the Papua New Guinea provinces of East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Eastern Highlands and the National Capital District, and Komu says those in the upper highlands region are seriously considering being part of the process.

Speaking from Mount Hagen, Komu says because the 2025 General Election is critical, Bougainvilleans of the Eastern End Bougainvillean Association want to be responsible citizens to elect a government that would lead Bougainville to become the world’s newest nation.

The Bougainville Electoral Commission, OBEC, says it anticipates well over 200-thousand voters to take part in this year’s general election, making it one of Bougainville’s biggest elections yet.

The National Statistical Office, N-S-O, has estimated the population on Bougainville to be over 641-thousand people, comprising over 330-thousand men and over 311-thousand women, in its 2021 national population estimate.

OBEC Commissioner, Desmond Tsianai, says work on enrolment and voter registration is now being processed, and while the OBEC is anticipating an increase in excess of 300-thousand voters taking part in the election, the actual eligible voting population will become clear once all enrolment and voter registration is completed.