WEDNESDAY next week – 19th November has been declared a public holiday due to the election.
Caretaker Minister for Home Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga has declared.
A statement from the Electoral Commission said, the public holiday will not cover the several days that some people may need in order to vote in their home Province.
The Chief Electoral Officer is asking all employers to be lenient on employees that request to go home to vote.
“Many people who work in Honiara have registered to vote in their home Province. This is their right under Solomon Islands law and it closely reflects the feeling of connectedness that many of us have with our home villages,” Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Polycarp Haununu said.
“However, under our current laws, ‘Out of Constituency’ voting is not possible and that means that those who have registered to vote in their home Provinces must return home to vote.”
Thousands of people registered at the SIEC’s Out of Constituency Voter Registration Center during the Voter Registration Period earlier this year.
But the SIEC said the issue of whether or not employees can take time off to go home and vote is an issue that is between the employee and their employer.
“Let me make this very clear, Employees who wish to go to the Poll to vote must seek permission from their employers to be released from their duties,” Mr Haununu said.
“Ultimately, it is up to the employers and their employees to work these matters out.”
“However, we would kindly ask all employers to consider the importance of voting and the fact that national elections only take place once every four years, and be lenient with their employees.”
The SIEC said it hopes to raise ‘Out of Constituency’ voting as a potential area for legislative reform in 2015.
