EC aware of two lists of ROs
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
EC aware of two lists of
ROs
PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea (PNG) electoral
commissioner Simon Sinai says there are currently two lists of Returning
Officers (ROs) being circulated.
“I have exercised my
powers under Section 18 and 19 of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level
Government Elections on May 5, 2022, where a notice was published in Gazette
No. G347 containing the official list of the names for all ROs for both open
electorates and provinces.
However, Sinai said
there was another “Gazette” outside the PNG Electoral Commission (EC) containing
a list of ROs bearing the same description and was published the next day on
May 6, 2022.
“That Gazette’ is false
and misleading and was cooked up by persons with vested interest to cause
confusion where it has included names of persons who have not been appointed by
the commission as ROs for certain electorates,” he added.
The news break was published by The National:
EC aware of two lists
of ROs
May 16, 2022The NationalMain Stories
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai said he had exercised his powers under
Section 18 and 19 of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government
elections on May 5 where a notice was published in the Gazette No G347
containing the official list of the names for all ROs for both open electorates
and provinces.
However, Sinai said there was another Gazette outside the Commission containing
a list of returning officers bearing the same description and was published the
next day on May 6.
“That Gazette is false and misleading and was cooked up by persons with vested
interest to cause confusion where it has included names of persons who have not
been appointed by the Electoral Commission as ROs for certain electorates,” he
said.
“These changes have basically been targeted at electorates in Southern
Highlands, Enga and Western Highlands provinces.”
The returning officers appointed to these provinces by the Electoral Commission
as per the gazette: Ronald Rambu (Ialibu-Pangia), Albert Wens (Kagua-Erave),
Sebastine Kisambo (Mendi-Munihu), Felix Kundip (Nipa-Kutubu), Willie Ropa
(Hagen Central), Henry Apakali (Kandep) and Kevin Yati (Wapenamanda).
Sinai said returning officers would take nominations on Wednesday and the
process would end next Thursday.
He said nominations needed to be made to all gazetted ROs, adding that any done
with individuals not appointed by the EC would not be accepted.
Traffic police warn candidates, supporters
Inspecting a parade …
7-Mile police station commander Insp Ben Wiai inspecting a parade on Thursday.
The police National Capital District/Central divisional command said such
regular parades and inspections were important because they helped instil
morale and confidence in police personnel. NCD Metropolitan Supt Gideon Ikumu
said earlier that police would be providing security at more than 300 polling
booths in Port Moresby. He said police would ensure a smooth election with
support from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and Correctional Service
officers. – Picture supplied
EAST New Britain
traffic police have warned candidates and their supporters to follow the
traffic rules during the nomination period of the general election.
Officer-in-charge of Kokopo Traffic Chief Sergeant Albert Mapo said on Thursday
that owners of trucks and buses (15 and 25-seater) needed to abide by traffic
rules.
Mapo said overloaded vehicles carrying supporters of candidates were already
breaching traffic rules and police would charge drivers and vehicle owners
accordingly.
“Overloading of the vehicle is already a criminal offence and the maximum
penalty is K1,000 fine,” he said.
“My appeal to the drivers, vehicle owners, candidates and supporters is to play
your part to tell your voters not to overload vehicles when making
nominations.”
Mapo said all drivers and passengers, candidates and supporters needed to be
sober when at the venues to nominate.
He said police would arrest and charge anyone who was deemed drunk at these
areas.
Mapo said there was a liquor ban in the province and he warned anyone
producing, selling or consuming homebrewed alcohol to stop as this would only
increase the chances of violent and disruptive behaviour during the election
period.
He said traffic police personnel would start patrolling roads to check vehicles
and ensure all road users were behaving responsibly.
200 reservists set to boost election
operations in Northern
THE pre-election operation for security
personnel in Northern was launched with about 200 community-based constable
reservists set to boost manpower.
Northern police commander Senior Insp Ewai Segi said police in Northern
expected the public to take ownership of the election and behave accordingly.
“As police, we don’t want any interruptions during the election process,” he
said.
“We expect all residents of Popondetta town and the surrounding communities to
act accordingly and avoid negative influences that are likely to disturb the
electoral process.
“Following this launch, we will conduct another awareness again.
“We want the community to join police and we all can work together to deliver
election.”
Meanwhile, Segi also urged the reservists to consider the importance of laws
governing the election so they were not held accountable for wrong doings after
the election.
“This is not for Northern police officers only but for all the officers
throughout the country,” he said.
“The laws governing the election process are there, you just have to do what
you are required to.
“Do not do anything that is outside of the election process law.”
Segi urged the policemen and women in the province to stand united and deliver
a safe, fair and free election to the people.
“I want everyone to work together,” he said.
“I will be expecting more than the discipline that is required of us to deliver
the safe, free and fair election for the people.
“Overall, we are ready to provide security in the province during the
election.”
Kombra: Poll will not
affect schools
May 16, 2022The NationalNational
EDUCATION secretary Dr
Uke Kombra says election dates will not affect the education calendar, but
slight changes will be made between terms two and three.
Kombra said term two would have 11 schooling weeks and term three would have 10
schooling weeks while term four remained as it was to be aligned with the
revised election dates.
He said this was adjusted to avoid class disruptions and the national
examinations’ dates for this year.
“What we have done is to reduce the 10 weeks of term two to 11 weeks and reduce
11 weeks of term three to 10.
“So in total for the whole year, we still maintain the 41 weeks of schooling
year and there are no lessons missed due to the election,” he said.
Kombra said the exam dates would remain the same.
He said the first national examination of written expression would be on June 2
for grade 10 and all the other dates for examinations remained the same.
He announced the revised dates in the following:
Students from schools
in Lae attending the two-day inter-school exhibition earlier this month.
Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra says election dates will not affect the
education calendar. – Nationalpic by GLORIA BAUAI
- Term two holiday starts on July
4;
- Term two holidays end on July
15;
- Term three starts on July 18;
- Writs open on May 12’;
- Close of nominations on May 19;
- Polling starts on July 2;
- Polling ends on July 22; and,
- Return of writs on Aug 1.
He urged the school
boards, teachers and students who would take part in the election activities to
observe the dates and return to schools on the set dates.
Police say fight not poll-related
By REBECCA KUKU
FIGHTING in Mt Hagen
is not related to the election and should not disrupt the election process,
says Eastern-end commander Assistant Commissioner of Police Rigga Neggi.
Neggi said he had deployed police out to the border of Western and Southern
Highlands and recalled mobile units to be stationed in Mt Hagen.
“The fight started as a result of an incident that happened on May 1, a group
of young boys from Southern Highlands were drinking at a club in Mt Hagen and
around 2am, the club wanted to close as usual and asked them to leave.”
“But the boys refused to do so, they eventually came out and one of them open
fired into the air and got into a car, they were then attacked and chased by
the people living around the area but one of them was left behind,” Neggi said
“He unfortunately was beaten by the crowd and later pronounced dead.”
Neggi denied speculations on social media that the fight was in protest to
changes made by the electoral commissioner.
“This incident has nothing to do with the election.”
Court allows four
parties to join proceeding
May 16, 2022The
NationalNational
By CLARISSA MOI
THE Supreme Court has
allowed the Public Solicitor, Speaker of Parliament, Electoral Commissioner
Simon Sinai and the Public Prosecutor to join as parties in the matter of a
special reference.
Justice Colin Makail ruled on Friday in the matter of a special reference filed
by the Attorney-General Pila Niningi seeking clarification on whether people
convicted by a court could stand for election.
Public Solicitor Leslie Mamu submitted that he should be allowed to be a party
as a law officer be entitled to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on
constitutional matters under Section 19 (3) of the Constitution.
He said he had a responsibility in defending the Constitution which involved
taking an interest in constitutional provisions.
Mamu said questions in the special reference related to offences under the
Criminal Code and generally criminal law, an area which concerned his office.
Speaker of Parliament Job Pomat said he needed to be involved in the
proceedings as he was responsible for the acts and the standing orders of
Parliament and regulating its proceedings and administering its affairs as
defined by or under an Act of the Parliament.
Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin submitted that he should be allowed to be a
party to the proceedings because the questions contained in the special
reference had a direct impact on the powers, roles and responsibilities of the
Public Prosecutor in the exercise of its constitutional function.
Sinai said he needed to be a party to the proceedings as his office was charge
of the elections.
He said by seeking interpretation of sections 50 and 103 of the Constitution
relating to a citizen’s rights to vote and stand for public office and the
qualifications for and disqualifications from membership, directly affected the
Electoral Commission.
Sinai said his office was in charge of all national election functions which
was to organise and conduct elections, thus, affecting the greater interest of
the people.
Niningi through the Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa, did not object to the
parties’ submissions.
Justice Makail ordered that each party should file and serve their statements
of response by May 17, the Speaker of Parliament should file and serve
affidavits May 17, and Niningi should, in consultation with the parties file
and serve a reference by May 20.
Matter was adjourned to May 23 for listings.
Samuel can contest:
Sinai
May 16, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
Boe Samuel
MORESBY North-West MP Lohia Boe Samuel can
contest in the general election because he has not been convicted, Electoral
Commissioner Simon Sinai says.
Sinai made the clarification as Samuel is currently facing a murder charge in
the Committal Court in Waigani.
Samuel and his co-accused Fabian Hera have been accused of killing a man in
Port Moresby on March 11.
Sinai said Samuel had the right to contest the election when nominations open
on Wednesday.
He said the same applied to any intending candidate unless they were proven
guilty by the court.
“There is no law stopping a person who is arrested for crime and going through
the criminal process to nominate and contest in the election,” he said
Sinai said nominations would close on May 26 and the Electoral Commission and
police had put together a security action plan to target hotspot provinces.
He said those hotspots had been identified and security personnel were set to
be deployed.
“We have identified a few hotspot areas and Mt Hagen is one them with Southern
Highlands,” Sinai said.
“For other provinces that are most likely to be a hotspot, we’ve targeted that
and they have security operations planned.
“The plan is now under discussion with the team working on it and we are moving
into finalising it.”
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