BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

ARRANGEMENTS for persons with disability in Solomon Islands to improve access in polling stations during the period of elections have been included in the Electoral Act 2018.

This change has been included since the new Electoral Act 2018, and strives for inclusiveness at any election period.

Speaking at a recent Media conference, the Solomon Islands Chief Electoral Officer Mr Moses Saitala said arrangements for persons with special needs to help them access polling stations is included in this Act.

CEO Saitala voiced that they have been including this matter because it is one crucial issue raised during discussions on the bill in terms of assisting them in ensuring that they can register and cast their ballots during elections.

He said when the polling day arrives special polling booth will be erected for them (People with special needs).

“For now we are already doing something to assist them on how they can register and cast their ballots.

“Hence we are now working on ensuring all polling stations on flat grounds so they can able to access the designated booth in this election period but however we still encounter difficulties due to geographical location,” said Saitala.

He this new included change comes under the Conduct of Election (Arrangement for Voting).

OFFICERS of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) are mourning the loss of colleague officer Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Roland Lapo who passed away suddenly at Taro in Choiseul province on August 29, 2018.

The late Lapo was serving at the Taro Police Station when he died while on training with his fellow officers.

He suffered a suspected heart attack and was taken to medical attention by his fellow officers but passed away.

“The late Staff Sergeant Rolland Lapo was recruited into the RSIPF in 1982 and died while serving as Operation Manager at the Taro Police Station,” says Police Commissioner Matthew Varley.

“Late SSgt Lapo served the RSIPF for 36 years and was posted at various police stations.

“He held several positions during his time including Officer in Charge and Supervising Provincial Police Commander at the Taro Police Station in the absence of a provincial police commander.

“Late SSgt Lapo was a dedicated and hardworking officer and mostly spent his time serving the people of Western and Choiseul Provinces.

“It is indeed a loss for the organisation as well as officers who worked along with him during his career.

“On behalf of the RSIPF Executives Ranks and files, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the family members, relatives and friends at this time of bereavement.

“He has left us but his good work will always be remembered in the organisation,” says Commissioner Varley.

Commissioner Varley and other members of his Executive as well as officers from the Police Headquarters in Honiara flew to Taro to join in the arrangements for the funeral of the late SSgt Lapo before his body was repatriated to his village in South Choiseul.

–POLICE MEDIA

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

POLICE Commissioner Matthew Varley revealed on Sunday that a Police officer who died at Taro had died of suspected heart attack.

He said that the officer died whilst on duty on Wednesday and was taken to the Taro hospital and was declared by the doctor that he died of suspected heart attack.

Commissioner Varley conveys the RSIPF’s condolence to the family and relatives of the late officer and said that losing one of their own colleagues is really a very sad moment.

He said that on behalf of the RSIPF he flew over to Taro to honour the officer on Thursday at his funeral service.

The late officer Roland Lapo served the RSIPF for 36 years and he thanks his family for their support to the officer while he serves in RSIPF.

He also reminded officers to be careful of their health and as part of the health and fitness for the RSIPF they have a gym programme funded by the Australia through the Solomon Islands Police Deployment Programme.

By Alfred Sasako

THE National Provident Fund (NPF) appears to have ventured into commercialising ownership of sporting facilities by buying Our Telekom’s Sports field and staff club house at Ranadi

The deal was apparently kept under wrap until it was completed earlier this week, according to information obtained by Island Sun.

It is unclear as to why the NPF had bought the sports field and staff clubhouse. Island Sun was unable to contact the NPF Management last night.

A call to Our Telekom’s Chief Executive Officer, Loyley Ngira yesterday evening went unanswered.

NPF’s purchase of the sporting facility is the first by the people’s superannuation and could backfire on the management and Board.

NPF Chairman Peter Boyers could not be reached for comment last night.

Equally, Our Telekom staff are certain to be angered by the sale as they will no longer have any recreational facilities in Honiara.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

ENGAGING in campaigning activity outside campaign period will faces a penalty of $20,000 or two years imprisonments or both.

This is one of the changes under the newly passed Electoral Act 2018 in section (124) in reference to Engaging in campaign activity outside campaign period

Chief Executive Officer of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commissioner (SIEC) said that according to the Act is stated that person who engages in any campaigning activity in relation outside the campaign period for the election commits an offence.

CEO Saitala uttered some of the campaign activity stated in the Act may be nay of the following;

• Conducting a demonstration or procession,
• Making or publishing a statement,
• Speech or advertisement,
• Conducting a public opinion poll,
• Distributing anything (including a document that imitates a ballot paper) that has on it
• The names of candidates and any direction or indication as to the candidate a person should vote for.
• Anything else intended, calculated or likely to influence a person’s vote,
• Displaying the name of a candidate or political party,
• Emblem, slogan, logo or symbol,
• Distributing ribbons, streamers, rosettes, or items of a similar nature in a candidate’s or political party’s colours and
• Making oral representations to a person.

He said this new change is already effective after it was passed.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

KAVA Farmer of Pupuka Village at Northwest Choiseul Mr John Kula urges farmers around Choiseul to grow Kava and consider it a valuable alternative from other commercial cash crops in the province.

From observation, he reasons that Kava is easier to look after and manage compared to other cash crops, less affected by plant diseases and has high demand from overseas buyers this time especially from the United States of America (USA) which means local buying prices continues to rise.

“And, the availability of local buyers like Varivao Holdings Company makes it easier for quick access for quick money under the conditions set down between Varivao and Choiseul Agriculture Authority to provide continuous trainings and injection of funds to a proposed Choiseul Kava Farmers Association.

“This is to buy Kava products from the local farmers to assist them in their families’ livelihoods and other needs like school fees, medical expenses and even to set up other small income generating businesses,” said Kula.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

NON-attendance by Central Islands Province (CIP) Chief Education Officer (CEO) at the recent National Educational Authorities Conference (NEAC) at Taro Station upsets the province.

Whatever maybe the reason for not attending since the CEO could not be reached for comment, CIP’s citizens see this as a slap on the face from CIP’s Education Authority (EA) to not attend for the sake of the province in terms of boosting its education development.

According to report, the University of the South Pacific (USP) Honiara Campus had introduced its School Leadership Project to participants who attended the NEAC at Taro, Choiseul Province, over which the

USP representative Dr Jack Maebuta said the project aims to improve and make impact changes to schools in the country in which it would help build the capacity of school leaders through various training.

What it would be like for CIP in this opportunity when seeing that all Provincial, Church and private Education Authorities were well represented at the NEAC is what really hits the people of the province on the head.

The CIP Provincial Education Officer (PEO) Mr Charles Kasuni who is currently under medical treatment and out of duty does not even understand why there was not even a CIP EA Officer rep to represent them at the conference if the CEO was not to attend.

“I have not resumed duty yet since June therefore I do not know why the CEO failed to attend or send any of the CIP EA Officers that has a total of five in the office,” said CIP’s PEO.

Meanwhile on Ngella’s famous Forum (NGF), concerns have been raised turning into queries with no response for knowledge and understanding made.

“I feel for school students in Russell Islands, Savo and Ngella,” expressed a sympathetic CIP citizen on NGF’s page.