by Bradley Valenaki

FIVE candidates contesting the NCD Regional seat have demanded appropriate actions be taken before counting commences.

This they say will ensure transparency in the counting process.

The candidates include, runner-up of 2017 Andy Bawa, 2012 runner-up Michael Kandiu, former topcop Fred Yakasa, ULP candidate Steven Kilage and former beauty queen and People’s Party, Sylvia Pascoe.

In a written letter addressed to the NCD Election Manager, Kila Ralai, the candidates demanded 14 actions.

1. NCD Regional candidates given access to inspect counting venues ahead of count.

2. Primary counts for Provincial must commence together with open electorates.

3. Set-up of CCTV cameras at all counting venues.

4. No police officers to be in counting room.

5. Installation of billboards for further verification.

6. Counting to only take place during day time.

7. Scrutineers representing Regional candidates must be present for authentication.

8. Details of official vehicles entering counting premises to be passed on to candidates.

9. Allow additional security checks at gate by appointed regional candidates.

10. Counting should be live streamed using social media.

11. Disrupted polling at ATS ward 9 should commence before counting.

12. Presiding officers must present their returns at counting venues.

13. No counting official must be from NCD.

14. Security at counting venues must not disperse supporters and scrutineers camped outside.

The Election Manager Kila Ralai addressed the regional candidates on Tuesday this week at the Rita Flynn netball courts, the designated location for Moresby South counting.

It was there, that he also called on the aspiring politicians to control their supporters and not to interfere with the process.

With all set for counting to commence yesterday in Port Moresby, it appears a further delay has been sort to allow training of officials for counting.

Mr. Ralai confirms budget constraints has led to the cut down and engagement of limited counting officials who will be on shift operations during the count in NCD.

NCD has has gone through two deferrals in polling with Moresby North-East seeing a third.

As it enters counting, the demands and pressure of the candidates and their supporters may drag on even further.

Whatever the outcome, there are only 13 days left before writs close on the 29th of July.

Counting for the three electorates and regional seat in Northern is planned to start over the weekend says an official.

Chairman Provincial Election Steering Committee, Trevor Magei said all the polling teams and ballot boxes are expected to arrive in Popondetta by this weekend.

He said training of counting officials would be held on Saturday and counting is expected to begin on Sunday.

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“The security personnel are set to extract all remaining ballot boxes starting from North Coast near the border of Morobe and Northern to the Eastern side on the border with Milne Bay,” said Magei.

He said the only issue was ballot boxes not reaching the polling locations on time.

Magei also thanked security forces who assisted during nomination, polling and now counting.

Meanwhile Mr Magei said the venue at Orokaiva market was selected to centralize counting.

“Counting will be done at the Orokaiva Market because it is spacious.

“This area has the capacity to simultaneously count all electorates and the regional at the same time.

“If all goes well, we hope to complete counting in three to four days,” said Chairman Magei.

Incumbent Northern Governor, Gary Juffa has called on people using social media platforms to be responsible.

He made this call when filing a criminal complaint against several suspects who he alleges had breached the Cyber Crime Act in their posts.

“The purpose of this action is to demonstrate that there are laws which regulate what one can post and put out there for public consumption.

“Social media is a very powerful medium for transmission of information and can affect how people think and act,” Juffa expressed.

“It can tarnish and destroy a person’s reputation and career. People can be harmed, properties destroyed, jobs lost, and even cost their lives,” said Juffa.

Juffa said this was the first of several such cases and he was determined to make sure that the case goes through.

“I have a duty to uphold the law and act upon instances where breaches of the law occur. “I am also duty bound to protect the office of the governor”, said Mr Juffa.

He urged his people to be mindful of what they share on social media and ensure they had facts and evidence.

In one instance, polling was delayed because of unfounded accusations creating suspicion and anxiety and causing polling officials to be reluctant to execute their duties, said Juffa

“What is alarming is that these efforts are undertaken by people in positions of responsibility,” he added.

Mr Juffa explained that under the Cyber Crime Act, persons who administer pages and forums will be held responsible for posting fake profiles.

Voters in ward 2 area of Iabu LLG at Asuramba care-centre in Bogia District became frustrated when they learned that most eligible voters weren’t able to cast their votes because their names were not on the roll.

Former President of Iabu LLG, Nelson Mambote, says they were told only 15% of the names were included in the roll update of 2019.

Iabu LLG has around 800 in population, 600 of which are eligible voters but only 15% of the eligible voters’ names were included in the roll update.

Mambote says the national government and the PNG Electoral Commission are depriving the rights of the citizen to cast their votes.

Most of the names of elderly people and the young voters who have reached 18 years or above in the last five years were not in the roll update.

He says this is the time for the younger population to exercise their rights through the ballot papers yet they were denied that right.

Mambote further said the problem lies with the national government and the PNG Electoral office who should have carried out the roll update.

He said the national government and the PNG Electoral office had five years to work on the roll updates.

Adding that successful governments have not improved and learned from the previous elections to correct the flaws. Instead the same problems are being repeated every five years.

Mambote says local leaders in the community couldn’t contain the bulk of the voting population’s frustrations when it was spilt out.

Much of the blame for this whole mess was placed on both the government and the electoral commission.

Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai is confident the 2022 National General Elections will be delivered despite hiccups.

Sinai said polling has been completed in almost 114 LLGs throughout the country.

“Since July 4th, the election has progressed. We want to deliver the election and that includes polling and counting,” said EC Sinai.

Mr Sinai said most delays in parts of the country are due to weather patterns and logistics.

“The challenge varies from each province. Transporting polling teams and election materials continue to hamper our schedule. But I am confident we will overcome this,” said Sinai.

He said most provinces in the Highlands region have completed polling with extraction of ballot boxes to counting venues underway.

The Electoral Commissioner said Enga, Hela, Southern Highlands and Eastern Highlands have completed polling.

He announced that Jiwaka, Simbu and Western Highlands will poll on Friday 15th of July.

“I dispel all rumours and now confirm that these three provinces will poll come Friday,” said Sinai.

Mr Sinai further stated that Madang, Morobe including East and West Sepik are winding down polling and counting is progressing for some open seats.

“The election in the New Guinea Islands region is also progressing. New Ireland is into counting with East and West New Britain. Manus is expected to start counting on Thursday,” Sinai said.

Mr Sinai said for Southern Region, extraction of polling teams continue in Oro, Central, Milne Bay and Gulf.

Sinai said NCD is expected to start counting on Thursday with only delay for Moresby North-East following delays and complains.

“Generally I am pleased that things are progressing. Apart from security and logistics issues, the concern on common roll remain alarming.” said EC Sinai.

He further stated that most provinces are into counting after completing training for counting officials.

Sinai also announced that EC officers will soon update its website. He said the public could access election reports or results for counting.

“This would be the official page for the Electoral Commission and the public will be able to access information and be informed,” said Sinai.

It was a slow poll for Morobe’s Finschhafen District yesterday after the district’s Returning Officer (RO) issue was resolved over the weekend.

Another issue that delayed polling was candidates’ demand that the 2017 electoral roll be used.

The third RO appointee, Fredah Joses, who is Morobe’s first female RO, was firm in her decision that the 2022 roll be used.

Polling started on Tuesday, July 12th, at Finschhafen Urban and Kotte Rural until the missing names problem led to frustrations.

Today (Wednesday), polling was suspended after RO Joses made the announcement that the 2017 roll will be used to support the 2022 roll.

Joses, who is Morobe’s Assistant Election Manager, said the decision was made after an effective consultation with Provincial Returning Officer and Morobe’s Election Manager, Simon Soheke, considering all situations, especially the safety risk that field officers are facing.

Joses told voters at the Gagidu Primary School to give them today to print out the 2017 roll.

Today’s polling has been suspended pending the distribution of the 2017 roll.

She made it clear that those whose names are not in the 2017 or 2022 roll will not vote.

One of the three female candidates contesting the Morobe Regional Seat, Jennifer Baing is still maintaining the top five position for Morobe’s Governor Seat. 

Baing is consistently collecting votes from Lae’s Ahi Local Level Government. 

After count 14 from ward 10 of Ahi LLG, the female candidate running under the People’s Movement for Change Party is running behind three male candidates with 847 votes. 

Ms. Baing’s policy includes prioritizing planning of the bottom-up approach concerning the ward development plan. 

Her aim is to work with the people as business partners and build them to become self-reliant through agriculture, fisheries and renewable resources. 

She aims to motivate and build the people to become self-reliant and earn a good living from their land and sea. 

Meanwhile, United Labour Party candidate, Kemas Tomala is leading the Morobe Regional Seat after count 14 with 2242 votes, People’s Labour Party candidate and former Morobe Governor, Luther Akisawa Wenge with 1613 votes and Independent Candidate, Manu Bobola with 899 votes.

The National General Election currently underway in Papua New Guinea is facing many widespread challenges; the electoral process is not by all means fair and free for the most part and has been going from bad to worse.

With counting for most electorates and provinces commencing, the new Government will be pressured to solve this growing problem.

While the caretaker Government is in control, Acting Prime Minister, John Rosso in the absence of James Marape who is on official duty travel to Fiji, promised the Media that the priority of the next Government must be to ensure the electoral process is refined and transparency and good governance prevails in future elections.

“When Government is formed our first task must be to look at our electoral process, we should look at introducing electronic polling and counting so that most of these things are done properly, there should be adequate planning in place before we enter the next elections that is in my view is our outmost priority,” Rosso told media in Port Moresby.

Without a doubt the priority is obviously to have the elections conclude and have the formation of Government in the coming weeks. 

“The Chief Secretary and the relevant authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that despite some of the issues being faced they are taken care of and a new Government is formed,” Rosso said.Prime Minister James Marape was on his way to Fiji for the 51st Pacific Islands Forum when Rosso met with Media yesterday.

He said PNG plays an important role in the Pacific and has commitments also with other regional forums like the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). 

“The 51st Pacific Islands Forum, in which Prime Minister James Marape is attending, in Suva, Fiji, is the most significant in recent history, as the region gradually emerges from the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Prime Minister Marape, who has also been caught up in election matters, has made time available in his very busy schedule to participate as Head of Government at this important regional summit. 

“It is also important that our Prime Minister attends this meeting as he will be handing over the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Chair to Vanuatu,” Rosso said.

Rosso added that the regional meets are of pressing issues and thus James Marape, despite being a part of the caretaker Government had to be present. 

“Until the Return of Writs, as stipulated by law, Prime Minister Marape still remains the Head of our Government,” Acting Prime Minister Rosso clarified.

By Harlyn Joku

Many eligible voters may not have enrolled due to lack of time and funding according to the PNG Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.

Commissioner Simon Sinai explained in an 8 paged National General Election Update report delivered on Sunday at a press conference that the issue of enrolment is not because the EC lacked effort.

“The PNGEC was prepared to update the roll since 2021; however, adequate and timely funding to implement the roll update was delayed and accessible only in January 2022,” he said.

“I am aware of the concerns and questions expressed by voters and stakeholders related to the electoral roll and that not all eligible voters may have enrolled, because the Electoral Commission had limited time.

“As a result, the roll update for the election was conducted with barely three months before the issue of writs in May 2022, the date when the roll closes to new enrolments, with exceptions from nominated candidates.

“Regardless the PNGEC updated and prepared the electoral roll with as many voters included as was possible in the limited time period.

“Using the 2019 Local Level Government election roll as the baseline, the PNGEC updated the electoral roll as follows;

• Approximately 695,000 new enrolments were added, about 57 percent of the new enrolments were young voters between 18 and 24 years old. The total number of electors for the 2022 national general election is 5.7 million, which represents a 9 percent overall growth recorded compared to 6 percent during the 2017 election.

• The PNGEC launched a voter lookup platform on its website and provided a mobile look up application on android phones, where voters can check their enrolment status and where they registered to vote. “I invite voters to check their names on these platforms,” Mr Sinai said.

The Commissioner admitted more can be done to improve the electoral roll.

He assured that after the 2022 national election, the PNGEC stands ready to engage in consultations with government authorities at all levels to improve and advance the electoral roll.

The Lae District court has struck out the case of Finschhafen’s Hube LLG Assistant Returning Officer, Kamis Connery on Monday. 

According to Morobe’s Election Manager and Provincial Returning Officer, Simon Soheke, the court has asked the Prosecution to seek further instructions from the Electoral Commission and legal Counsel to further proceed with the matter.

Connery was charged for interfering with ballot papers on Friday, 08th July. 

According to police investigations through Morobe’s Provincial Police Commander, Jacob Singura, the ARO allegedly transported the ballot papers to his residence at Gagidu without advising the security zone commander for Finschhafen, Siasi and Kabwum, before transporting the ballot papers to Pindiu Station on Sunday, 03rd of July 2022.

Police was later informed through the polling officials and scrutineers that ballot papers for Kotec LLG were hijacked and over 500 ballot papers for one of the ward were missing and was later identified by Police in the possession of a nursing officer assigned as a polling official.

Meanwhile, polling for Finschhafen District commenced yesterday 12th July.