THE Electoral Commission Office is tightlipped over the date for the upcoming National Election.With Parliament dissolving on 24 April, no date has yet be floated.
Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary, Fred Fakari'i told the media under the constitution, election takes place four months after dissolution of Parliament.
He said the voter registration process will complete by 9th June.
Currently, Mr Fakari'i said 80% of forms have been returned to the Electoral Commission and data entering is continuing.
In meantime, the Electoral Provisions (Amendment) Bill 2010 is before the Parliament.
The Bill aims to strengthen voter registration, polling and counting during election process.
However, many MPs who spoke on the bill last Thursday said it will not address multiple registration and discrepancies during election.
Some suggested the Electoral Commission should introduce Identification Cards (ID) for voters.
The Bill is set down for debate and committee of whole house in the next sitting date.
Meanwhile, on the outset, political parties’ presences are continued to be felt.
After the launching of Our Party led by Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare, Autonomous Solomon Islanders Party (ASIP) and People’s Power Party, the People’s Federation Party was launched last Sunday in Honiara.
It was a party founded by Rudolf Dora, former Foreign Service officer turned businessman, and Minister for Health and Medical Services, Clay Forau.
Speaking at the launching, Mr Dora said his party is looking to align the traditional system with the national system of governance.
He said this is the only way people can feel the delivery of services by the National Government.
Mr Dora said if his party comes into power by way of coalition, his Government is looking at promoting our root crops and their economic potential.
He said this is to remove the aid dependency mentality towards Government.
Mr Dora said his party wants the Government to remove the aid from hands of MPs to an established body so that MPs can concentrate on their role as law makers.
He said his party will carry out a nationwide campaign to educate people about their manifestos.
Like Our Party and ASIP, PFP was also using media to grab public attention.
Islands Business reported earlier that Our Party and ASIP may be the first parties off the block but there are plenty more political parties that can be expected to emerge or be resurrected as we move closer to the election date.
Former Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza’s Peoples Alliance Party is still around — although small in numbers and inactive on the political front in recent years, Sir Allan’s influence on the political scene can never be really discounted.
Two parties — the Christian Democrats and the Rural Advancement Party — which feature some of the current government power brokers have yet to launch themselves.
After the last elections, there were seven political parties listed by parliament — one of those parties — Manasseh Sogavare’s Social Credit Party is dead and the status of six others is uncertain.
The political party culture in the Solomon Islands is relatively weak and at the end of the day, voters are more likely to choose their candidates on what they have done for their community rather than their political allegiance.
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