Papua-N.Guinea

New Postal Voting Formula

Elections For New Council In

PREPARATIONS now are being made for the election, in August, in New Guinea and Papua, of representatives (European) of the three Districts in the next Legislative Council (Islands, Main land, and Papua).

At present, New Guinea Islands District is represented by Mr. D, Barrett: New Guinea Mainland by Mr. George Whittaker; and Papua District by Mr. E. A. James.

Mr. Barrett will be opposed in the Islands District by Mr. Dudley Jones, well-known law practitioner of Rabaul.

It is now known that Mr.

Whittaker will not again seek representation of the Mainland seat —he has given up his residence in Lae and retired from active busi ness in the Territory. Mr. lan Downs, planter, of Goroka —formerly well known as the District Commissioner for Eastern High lands—has announced that he will be a candidate for this seat in August.

Mr. Clem Kirke, Port Moresby solicitor, has announced that he will contest the Papua Mainland seat, standing against Mr. James, the pre sent member.

There will be a simplified postal voting procedure for the election.

In a statement issued on May 7, the Administrator said that the amendments to the Legislative Council Regulations are being In stituted as the result of complaints that the system of postal voting followed in previous elections was so cumbersome that many persons were discouraged from voting, and in areas where mail services are in frequent, the procedure made it dif ficult for electors to vote at all.

The postal voting procedure will now be as follows: (1) Electors will not be required to submit a form of application for a postal vote. (2) As soon as nominations of candidates close and postal ballot papers are printed, the Returning Officers will forward postal vote certificates and postal ballot papers to all electors who reside ten miles or more from the nearest polling place. (3) The new postal vote certifi cate will contain more detail than previously, and the elector’s de claration must be witnessed by an other elector who is satisfied as to the identity of the voter.

(4) An elector who is entii vote by post on grounds othe= place of residence, e.g., illness* sence from the Territory, max for a postal vote either in f by radiogram or by letter.

The electoral rolls will eld July 1 and nominations on .

Election day will be August 2 Persons eligible for enn must be residents of 12 n standing, who are not undl age of twenty-one, and wM not natives or aliens.