TAILEVU POLLING SLOW BUT STEADY

(May 10th, 2006 No. 76)

Naiyala High School and Wailotua District School polling stations were at a slow start this morning with voters turning up in trickles.

By 12 noon today, Wailotua District School Polling station had 105 voters that had already cast their votes while Naiyala High School polling station had only 58 votes cast.

Presiding officer of Wailotua District School polling station, Filimoni Kilaiwekana said that the voters in the vicinity had a choice in which polling stations that they wanted to vote in so that is probably why the number of voters turning up has been trickling in slowly.

“Seventh Day Adventists in the Nasau area did not get a chance to vote on Saturday when polling opened and so they have been coming today to cast their votes in this polling station,” said Mr Kilaiwekana.

“We are also grateful that with the co-operation of the polling agents at the various polling stations, information is readily accessible to us and we can gain a lot of information on the voting habits of the people,” he added.

Naiyala Polling station’s presiding officer, Peni Rika said that voters were probably aware that polling would be in that area for another two days so they have been taking their time in visiting the stations.

“From 8am to 1pm today we have just had 58 people casting their votes and we expect more to come in the second day of polling here in Naiyala,” said Mr Rika.

Voters in the area have been given choices to visit whichever polling stations that is closer to them and for this they are grateful.

Elderly voters were escorted into the polling areas by the different elections officials and assisted in casting their vote with the supervision of the policemen on duty.

Polling ends for the two stations at 5pm today.

About 350 voters from two polling stations in the Tailevu North Fijian Communal and Tailevu North Open seats are expected to have cast their votes as elections enter its fourth day around the country.

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