HONIARA,18 SEPTEMBER 2018 (SOLOMON STAR) – Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) says it would take tough action against registered voters who are providing false information when applying for a transfer.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mose Saitala issued the warning during last week’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Solomon Islands Force (RSIPF).
He said those dishonest voters who are found guilty of providing false information will be taken out from the lists of voters or face prosecution.
“We will make some tough decisions very soon on certain issues with regards to voters’ names during the cause of registration,” he said.
Saitala said the Commission will soon go public especially with those that are believed to providing misleading information.
He said the likely area of concern where most issues are raised involved those registered voters who are transferring.
“Transfers really means that you have registered before but you are now applying to register elsewhere and that is possible by way of applying for transfer.
“But some of the things that is currently happening especially the way they want to transfer is not really honest because of the way they fill up the forms,” he said.
Saitala therefore warned that when someone provides misleading information during the registration he or she is already committing a crime.
“Decorations of false information to where exactly you are is already an offense in relation to providing misleading information in the registration forms that you fill.
“Certainly we would like to emphasise that people to be cautious that we have a new act and the penalty for that is $50,000 and five years’ imprisonment,” he added.
He said the penalty is not as light if someone found guilty and that should send warning to people to refrain from doing such offences.
The CEO then acknowledged the MOU signed as part of the work to prevent and consider some of the things that needs to be addressed in order to have a credible election outcome.
