The Biometric Voter List (BVL) will be used as the voter list in the upcoming six provincial elections in Solomon Islands.

The Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening confirmed Friday the biometric voter list will be used for provincial elections Central Islands, Guadalcanal, Isabel, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, and Temotu provinces later this year.

The Permanent Secretary, Stanley Dick Pirione said the Ministry has two options for provincial elections: it can use the voter list prepared under the Local Government Act, or the voter list prepared under the National Electoral Provisions Act.

Given the amount of work that has gone in to preparing the BVL, the Ministry is confident that using the BVL is the best way forward for a fair and accurate provincial election cycle.”

The Electoral Commission is still in the process of finalising the BVL. The exhibitions, objections, and omissions phase will start soon and this will also include regional lists.

However, for voting, people in the provinces will vote using the manual ballot process used in previous elections.

“We are currently working with relevant authorities on the legal issues surrounding the provincial elections and the use of the Biometric voters list. Once we got the legal clearance, we may then proceed with the provincial elections, after the national general elections, later on this year,” Pirione said.

Source: Island Business Online 15/07/2014