Less than two weeks since the introduction of a biometric voter registration system in Solomon Islands there are allegations of electoral fraud. Transparency Solomon Islands says it’s already received reports of widespread vote rigging ahead of the national election later this year. TSI’s chief executive Daniel Fenua says there is anecdotal evidence of candidates taking possession of scores of ID cards. He says the cards are purcahsed from individual voters.
Mr Fenua says the candidates will then give the cards back just prior to the election usually with a sum of money. “If you give them something during the week of elections that would definitely work for you, and this is what happened during previous elections,” Mr Fenua told Pacific Beat.
Mr Fenua says sitting MPs and candidates could be buying hundreds if not thousands of IDs, which could have a real effect on the outcome of the polls. “This will cause massive corruption I think leading up to the election,” he said.
Full Article: Allegations of widespread fraud ahead of Solomon Islands elections – Australia Network News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).