Dedicated young officers counting votes while Chairman Kaltamat is seen helping at left.

Judging from the current speed of counting, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission is confident all 379 ballot boxes including those from overseas, will be completed in less than two weeks.

“Thank you young team for speedy counting,” Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Edward Kaltamat said.

“If we can announce the result by June 10 then we may not need a further four or five days but, most likely one day extra, if we can complete SANMA tonight (05.06.24). Then we move on to count PENAMA and TORBA ballot boxes. We will, then, be able to complete all 21 overseas polling stations over the weekend.

“Once we produce the results, if we find one or two ballot boxes do not reconcile with the numbers as recorded in the box then we must recount the votes from the ballot box until we are satisfied.

“Even all the envelopes are kept to ensure that the number of votes counted is equal to the number of envelopes used.”

All votes cast are stapled together in tens to make it easy to count again for verification.

“What this means is that after counting all the votes we will cross check the numbers electronically to ensure they agree,” he said.

Mr. Kaltamat said verification could take two days before the results are announced to the nation. He praised his young officers who he said, have been with them for the last six months and are the contributants to the speedy progress in the completion of the first referendum vote counting in TAFEA, SHEFA and MALAMPA Provinces.

“Now we are on to the biggest constituency in the country which is SANMA Province which has over 90 polling stations. We hope to complete counting the votes tonight,” he said.

Observing a sense of energetic spirit displayed by the young officers as they call out “Valid 17A” or “Void 17B” as they drop each vote in its right ballot box, Kaltamat said, “My message to the young officers is that they are fully dedicated and are committed to stand up late into the night and even until the early hours of the next day, and they still have the energy to carry out their duties until they complete counting their ballot boxes.

“Other people may look tired but, these young people are physically strong and are motivated to keep counting until they finish each of their ballot boxes.

“This is very encouraging for the Commission, to witness such dedication”.

When asked about the future of the smart young officers that count, he said the Commission also “grooms them” for future potential political careers as the political future of the country belongs to them.

He named at least two members of his staff who were nurtured by the Commission to develop into dedicated Provincial Officers.

By Glenda Willie and Tensly Sumbe.

For the upcoming referendum, Vanuatu is regarded as a single constituency but is subdivided into 22 polling districts. In normal elections, polling districts are known as polling stations, and there are a total of 18 constituencies.

For the referendum, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Edward Kaltamat explained that there are 18 Polling Districts in Vanuatu, in addition to the New Caledonia Polling District, New Zealand Polling District, Australia Polling District, and Fiji Polling District.

There are over 300 polling stations in Vanuatu. According to Kaltamat, the authorities have planned to establish three polling stations in the New Caledonia Polling District and five polling stations in the Australia Polling District. He added that there are plans to initially set up two polling stations in the New Zealand Polling District, with intentions to increase the number to four. They are looking at setting up two polling stations in the Fiji Polling District.

A Polling Station Order will be signed by the Minister of Internal Affairs to authorise this.

Kaltamat explained that one method of voting is through direct voting, while the other is through proxy voting. He mentioned that awareness teams are currently distributing proxy forms, and individuals wanting to vote through proxy voting still have until May 14 to apply.

They are also considering the telephone dictation method, however, this will be confirmed at a later stage

By Glenda Willie.

A citizen has been arrested and charged for making threats on social media.

The police have charged that person under the Public Order Act, Section 12A; Disturbance in a public place and Section 14B; Incitement to Violence and disobedience of the law.

The individual has been cautioned, detained in Cell 6, and was released on bail on Thursday.

He will appear in court on April 26, 2024.

Police confirmed the case is currently under investigation.

Police has also issued a statement reminding public that exercising their rights as a citizen of Vanuatu is important for maintaining security.

The Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) respects these individual rights. They intervene when these rights are not respected or when individuals fail to act responsibly as citizens and break the law.

The police appeal to everyone to respect their rights under the constitution and to exercise them responsibly within the bounds of the law. The police take these actions seriously and will deal with individuals who break the law.

Police stressed through a public statement that “the Referendum campaign is a national activity that is currently ongoing across the country to educate people about the decision made by parliament regarding amendments to sections 17A and 17B.

There are two groups: one campaigning for a “VOTE YES” and the other for a “VOTE NO”.

“Police respects an individual rights to make any public comments, give opinions, and ask questions during awareness campaigns or through any social media outlets.

“We ask that when you exercise your right to comment, you do so with respect, as a responsible citizen, ensuring that your comments do not incite any situation that would breach the laws of the country.

“The VPF ensures that peace is maintained throughout the country at all times and requires the cooperation of everyone.

Minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA), Johnny Koanapo, led a delegation to Australia last week to raise awareness on the upcoming national Referendum to seasonal workers in Stanthorpe and Mildura, recruited under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

He also took the opportunity to spend time with the workers listening to their challenges and issues. Minister Koanapo and the delegation visited Sim Fresh factory and an accommodation for Ni-Vanuatu workers to understand their working conditions and discuss issues experienced living abroad.

Workers who participated in the awareness of the referendum expressed their appreciation to the Minister and delegation for visiting, informing, and encouraging them to vote in the planned national referendum.

The visiting delegation encouraged the workers to exercise their constitutional rights with conscience when voting on May 29, 2024. Workers were informed that polling stations would be stationed in Stanthorpe and Mildura to enable workers to exercise their rights. Other polling stations will also be established in other areas of Australia where they can exercise their rights. Workers were also encouraged to vote through proxy voting should they not be available to vote on 29th of May due to work commitments.

The minister and delegation heard also from a number of disengaged workers on their current issues and challenges and took the opportunity to encourage workers to come forward and discuss with Vanuatu Government options to enable their return to Vanuatu. 

Minister Koanapo reiterated the Vanuatu Government’s position not to encourage Ni-Vanuatu to apply for a protection visa, a message that was also conveyed by Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister during his recent visit to Australia. 

He additionally informed the workers of his meetings with the Australian Government regarding the current challenges of the PALM visa and the need for both Governments to find solutions to transition the workers into suitable arrangements in order for workers to return to Vanuatu with some savings.

The PALM is an integral part of the Vanuatu and Australia relationship and both countries were able to hold open and frank discussions as a demonstration of commitment to address the issues currently experienced by workers under the program. The seasonal labour program contributes significantly to both economies of the two countries and Minister Koanapo has assured the Australian Government that Vanuatu has no intention to stop participating in the program. However, Vanuatu wants to collaborate and address issues currently experienced and explore new areas such as construction and trade skills, which can bring more workers into Australia.

The Internal Affairs minister also took the opportunity to meet with the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense, Richard Marles; Mark Dreyfus, Attorney General; Andrew Giles, Minister responsible for Immigration, Citizenship, and Multicultural Affairs; and held other meetings with senior Heads of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) on labour mobility issues.

The minister and delegation had the opportunity to visit the Australian Federal Police Majura Park complex and the Royal Military College, also as part of his role as Minister responsible for the Vanuatu Police Force and Vanuatu Mobile Force.

The areas covered during this visit demonstrated the broad coverage of responsibilities for Minister Koanapo. The Australian Government Ministers expressed appreciation for Koanapo’s visit and offered to assist Vanuatu in its development priorities and address some of the current issues affecting the PALM program.

He also met with the key senior representatives from the Australia Industry Group (Ai Group), Jetstar, Market Place Fresh, Global Victoria and Toll Holdings as part of a commercial diplomacy initiative to build deeper commercial and investment ties with Australian companies operating at the strategic level of the economy. This commercial diplomacy initiative will complement the current labour mobility program, regional security, prosperity, and interconnectivity between the peoples of Vanuatu and Australia.

Australian businesses commended the Vanuatu minister for taking leadership in commercial diplomacy and expressed deep interest in the apprenticeship and construction proposal raised by Mr. Koanapo. 

Australian businesses indicated that there is growing business interest in the Pacific market and welcome further discussions on any opportunities to increase trade and more presence of Australian businesses in the Pacific. 

It is however important that stability, especially market stability in Vanuatu and the Pacific is achieved to enable businesses to maintain their strong interests. Increased business setup in the Pacific will contribute to improving Vanuatu’s human development and prosperity. The inclusion of key business leaders on all future visits will be positively considered as part of building stronger links among the businesses.

Koanapo was accompanied by the Director General of MoIA, 1st Political Adviser, the General Manager of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (VCCI), and the Second Secretary of Vanuatu’s High Commission in Canberra.

The Australian High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Ms Heidi Bootle and DFAT staff also accompanied the visit and participated in the meetings between Minister Koanapo and the PALM workers. Overall, the referendum awareness was said to be well received and Minister Koanapo’s visit received overwhelming support from the Australian Government. It again reinforces the trusted, strong, and mature relationship between Vanuatu and Australia and establishes a new level of trust, maturity, and respect on equal terms for both countries.

Source: dailypost.vu

By Glenda Willie.

Today is the deadline for voter registration as outlined in the Referendum timeline.

However, individuals who are in the process of obtaining a new National ID and plan to vote on May 29 will not be affected by this deadline, according to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Edward Kaltamat.

The Electoral Commission Chairman clarified that with the voter registration now closed, those who missed it would not be added to the electoral roll. However, he reassured that it is still possible to obtain a new ID card for other purposes, and it can still be used for voting on polling day.

Kaltamat explained that the Electoral Office oversees the voter registration, whereas the Civil Registration and Identity Management (CRIM) Office is responsible for the National ID registration and verification.

He explained that the eligibility criteria for voting in the referendum consist of three requirements; the individual must be a citizenship, he or she is 18 years old, and owns a valid National ID card.

These criteria are in place not to restrict eligible voters but to ensure that everyone who is eligible can exercise their right to vote on polling day.

Kaltamat further explained the eligibility criteria for the elections, which include being at least 18 years old, having a National ID card, and being listed on the electoral roll, where as for the referendum, even if someone’s name is not listed on the electoral roll, they can still cast their vote.

He elaborated that after the cutoff date, the Electoral Commission and Office will have a better idea of how many people have registered and are expected to vote.

This will help them with the management of dealing with the referendum voting process and preparation. This will also facilitate an understanding of the voter count per polling station, enabling the preparation of polling materials.

Kaltamat reiterated that since Vanuatu is a single constituency, eligible voters can cast their vote at any polling station, even if their name is not on the electoral list.

Meanwhile, the National ID verification in Port Vila continues today and will close at 5pm. Esther Muluane, a CRIM officer confirmed those that needed to verify their ID cards or make new ones can visit the following areas; Ministry of Health, Vila Central Hospital, Ex-FOL, main market and Anamburu market.

By Doddy Morris.

There has been a huge salary increase for the Deputy Leader of Opposition, Opposition Whip and the Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons of Parliamentary Standing Committees.

This Order was made by Prime Minister (PM) Charlot Salwai, in exercise of the powers conferred to him by paragraph 3(1)(a) of the Official Salaries Act [CAP 168], with the prior approval of the Council of Ministers (COM).

This Order was made on the 27^th of March, 2024 and is effective on the same date.

Part 1 of the Official Salaries (Amendment) Order No. 52 of 2024, of the Schedule – Office of the Leader of the Opposition deletes (VT)”3,968,600″, corresponding to “Deputy Leader of Opposition”, and substitutes it with (VT)”5,000,400.”

This means the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s salary will increase from VT3,968,600 to an impressive VT5,000,400, representing a substantial 26% increase.

Part 1 of the Schedule – Other Parliamentary Roles deletes (VT)”2,585,300″, corresponding to “Opposition Whip”, and substitutes it with (VT)”5,000,400,” meaning the Opposition Whip will now have a 93% increase on his salary.

The salary revisions extend beyond the Office of the Opposition. The Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons of Parliamentary Standing Committees will now receive VT5,000,400, marking an eye-opening 127% increase from their previous salary, which is VT2,202,300.

The Public Relations Officer of the Prime Minister’s Office was contacted for comments, but all efforts were unsuccessful.

Opposition Leader explains increase to salaries of Deputy Opposition Leader and Opposition Whip 

But Leader of Opposition and a Member of Parliament (MP) for Port Vila, Ishmael Kalsakau, informed the Vanuatu Daily Post that the increase came about because the Government wants all the positions on the Opposition side to have a salary increase with the same amount as the Deputy Leader and the Leader of Government Business. 

Mr. Kalsakau explained that this issue was brought up last year. Since the salaries of other positions on the Government side hadn’t changed for a long time, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s salary was increased to match theirs and balance. This was done to keep things fair between the Opposition and the Government.

“Currently, the Members of Parliament other than a Minister, Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition all have the same salary,” he said. “It does not really equate with the responsibility each of them has.”

Mr. Kalsakau mentioned these as reasons he wants the Government to delay the Referendum. He believes the public should know both sides before voting next month and suggests the Government include this in their ‘Yes’ campaign. 

“In the past, MPswere never satisfied, so when something is done about it, your government will change,” he said. “During my term as Prime Minister, I reduced it in Parliament, which is why I was removed.” In 2023, there was a motion against the Leader of the Opposition to increase MPs’ salaries again, as MPs thought he couldn’t stop them from receiving a high salary. The Leader of Opposition also mentioned uncertainty about whether passing the referendum would bring stability among MPs.

Source: dailypost.vu