“It is now incumbent on the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) and its partners to ensure clear and consistent communication to voters,” said chair Peter Aitsi in a statement.

“The provision of timely, accurate and accessible information during the polling period will be critical to ensuring a democratically credible election.”

Aitsi said voters were concerned that the disjointed manner of election preparations will adversely impact the conduct of polling.

These included the creation of new electorates, voter enrolment, roll updating, appointment of returning officers, nomination issues and tardy publication of election and polling schedules.

“People from across the country have volunteered with TIPNG to observe the conduct of their local polling station,” Aitsi said.

“They are demonstrating that Papua New Guineans are concerned and want to contribute to a free, fair and safe election.

“What is needed now is clear and consistent communication from the PNGEC and partners during the polling, counting and government formation periods,” he said.

TIPNG is accredited with the PNGEC as a domestic election observation group and will be working with individual volunteers from partner organisations to collect data on the integrity of polling.

The observation is a component of TIPNG’s Building Election Integrity through Partnership program, established last year and funded by the PNG-Australia Partnership.

TIPNG observed the 2007, 2012 and 2017 general elections using the same observer survey instruments

Reports from these observations have been presented to the PNGEC and PNG government and led to reforms such as the introduction of the limited preferential voting system and the organic law on the integrity of political parties and candidates (OLIPPAC).

TIPNG will work with other domestic and international observers and the National Research Institute on post-election analysis to improve electoral integrity.

It will release its 2022 Election Observation Report in December.