by Bradley Valenaki & Abel Gabarura
SIX ballot boxes were brought into Port Moresby from the Mt. Koiari areas via the Kokoda track after the designated helicopter that was supposed to airlift the sensitive election materials failed to turn up.
Escorted by youths and a lone police office, the boxes containing votes from villages along the famous Kokoda track arrived at the Owers’ corner on three separate days.
A ward councilor from Kagi was part of the team that brought in the ballot boxes from Efogi, Kagi and Manari, villagers in the hinterlands of Central’s new Hiri-Koiari electorate.
At Owers’ Corner, the boxes were handed over to electoral staff of Central province before being brought in for counting.
The youths when speaking to the officials expressed disappointment at the Electoral Commission for not transporting the items into Port Moresby.
They also demanded compensation as it was risky bringing the ballot papers on foot.
It took them at least two to three days to bring in the ballot boxes from the three locations.
Comments are closed.