10th MP dies in office of 10th Parliament
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
10th MP dies
in office of 10th Parliament
PORT MORESBY: North Bougainville MP William Nakin died
in the Port Moresby General Hospital yesterday (July 123, 2022).
Bougainville Regional MP
Peter Tsiamalili confirmed Nakin’s death which bring to 10 the number of MPs
who have died in office for the 2017 to 2022 10th Parliament.
Others who have passed
away included then Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil (United Labour Party –
Bulolo), then Commerce and Industry Minister William Samb (PNG Union Pati –
Goilala), Sam Akoitai (People’s National Congress – Central Bougainville),
Jonny Alonk (United Resources Party – Middle Ramu), Roy Biyama (PNG Party –
Middle Fly), Richard Mendani (United Resources Party – Kerema), Thomas Pelika
(United Labour Party – Menyama) and Sir Mekere Morauta (People’s Democratic
Movement – Moresby North-West).
Nakin, a member of the
National Alliance party, was the second Bougainville MP to die in office, the first
was Akoitai.
The outcome of the North Bougainville election could be in limbo because Nakin was defending his seat against 22 challenges. Polling was from July 4 to 11, 2022.
If Nakin is re-elected, what then?
North Bougainville is one of the four seats that make up Bougainville in the New Islands Region.
According to the Election Commission (EC) list, Bougainville is made up of 33 Local Level Governments comprising 441 wards with 561 polling stations featuring 598 polling booths.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the news break and a few General Election 2022 news updates as published by The National:
Tenth MP passes on
July 13, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
By HELEN TARAWA
NORTH Bougainville MP
William Nakin died at the Port Moresby General Hospital yesterday.
Bougainville regional MP Peter Tsiamalili Jr confirmed Nakin’s death which
brings to 10, the number of MPs who have died during this term (2017-2022) of
Parliament.
Other members who have passed away included the Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil
(United Labour Party – Bulolo), Commerce and Industry Minister William Samb
(PNG Union Pati – Goilala), Sam Akoitai (People’s National Congress Party –
Central Bougainville), Jonny Alonk (United Resources Party – Middle Ramu), Roy
Biyama (PNG Party – Middle Fly), Richard Mendani (United Resources Party – Kerema),
Thomas Pelika (United Labour Party – Menyamya) and Sir Mekere Morauta (People’s
Democratic Movement – Moresby North West).
Nakin, a member of the National Alliance party, was the second Bougainville MP
in the 10th Parliament to die while in office. The first was Central
Bougainville MP Sam Akoitai.
Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama said Nakin’s passing came at a crucial
time for PNG and Bougainville as the whole nation concentrated on the General
Election 2022 (GE22).
“I am saddened that we have lost another Bougainvillean leader in the National
Parliament and in Bougainville,” he said.
Before entering politics in 2017, late Nakin was a businessman and faithful
elder of the Catholic church in Bougainville.
“Nakin was guided by his business acumen to deliver services effectively to the
people of North Bougainville,” Toroama said.
“In the last five years, he contributed immensely to infrastructure development
in North Bougainville, prioritising primary healthcare and education as the
core of his development programmes.
Toroama expressed his condolences to Nakin’s family and the people of North
Bougainville.
Top cop calls for review of electoral system
A voter in Goroka John Markam Junior casting his vote at Genoka Daewong top polling booth in Goroka town ward four yesterday. – Nationalpic by ZACHERY PERA voter in Goroka John
By ZACHERY PER
THE new Government
after General Election 2022 (GE22) should seriously reform the electoral
system, Eastern Highlands police commander Supt Michael Welly says.
“As commander overseeing election operation in Eastern Highlands, I do not want
to see the same election related violence and problems being repeated after
every five years,” he said.
“I am strongly calling on the new Government to introduce new biometric system
of voting and have the common roll updated even one or two years before the
election year.”
He said many issues had been identified in this election and solutions must be
found so the same would not be repeated in GE27.
“The Government should help the Electoral Commission, police and relevant
stakeholders to rectify the problems like unnecessary deaths, violence, vote
rigging and common roll issues,” he said.
Supt Welly raised this after confirming anomalies during polling in Eastern
Highlands yesterday.
“Polling in Lufa will continue tomorrow because of shortages of vehicles to
transport polling teams to polling places,” he said.
Welly thanked the security forces and the voters who demonstrated maturity and
behaved orderly during the polling.
Election manager Gore Kaupa said counting was expected to start on Friday and
would take place at NSI for the eight open electorates while counting for the
regional seat would be held inside the new multi sports complex.
Aitape-Lumi polling expected to end this week
By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
POLLING in Aitape-Lumi
is expected to be completed this week with the counting of ballots starting
next week, returning officer (RO) John Awas says.
“Due to slight delays, polling was extended for a few days,” he said.
“Polling commenced on Friday and was scheduled for seven days.
“We have had issues where candidate posters were not printed correctly, there
was no fuel for the helicopter to transport teams into the mountainous areas
and then there was the common issue of missing names on the electoral rolls.
“We have yet to get an update for Lumi but most teams for the Aitape East and
West local level governments (LLGs) would have concluded polling by Thursday,”
he said.
“Most of the teams that were airlifted into the mountain areas would return
mid-week as most of them have concluded polling.”
Awas said they were two days late as there was no fuel for the helicopter to
transport teams and ballot boxes.
“Fuel drums for Aitape comes from Wewak, so we had to wait,” he added.
Awas said that despite the challenges, polling was conducted smoothly and
without disturbances for the three districts.
Arob polling described as peaceful and quiet,
says RO
By MICHAEL PHILIP
POLLING in the
Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Arob) was described as peaceful and quiet,
with preparations being made for counting this weekend
Arob election manager and returning officer Justin Pantumari told The
National that the week-long polling which started last Wednesday had
ended yesterday despite materials arriving very late.
Pantumari said despite them being the biggest province in the New Guinea
Islands and consisting of 128 polling teams, 13 local level governments (LLGs)
and 441 wards, cooperation from the people made it possible for them to
complete polling in a week.
“We encountered zero election-related violence because people were so
supportive and it’s through them that we’ve successfully completed polling,” he
said.
Pantumari said the main issue of missing names in the common roll in General
Election 2022 (GE22) was not a concern but the payment funding for the polling
officials.
“For Arob, we use our own common roll which helped us have a smooth polling,”
he said.
“But it was funding issues that we’ve faced in Central and South Bougainville.
“North was okay, it was sorted.”
Pantumari added that the counting would start this weekend.
RO: Transport by sea
risky
July 13, 2022The NationalMain Stories
AN election official
in Tawae-Siassi district, Morobe, has expressed concern about the
transportation of ballot boxes by sea from the Siassi islands to Sialum on the
mainland for counting.
“Transporting these materials by boat at this time of the year is not safe as
we are experiencing rough seas,” returning officer Lancelot Kamake said.
He said larger police boats from the Lae command would be required to move
ballot boxes from Siassi and Wasu to Sialum district headquarters in
preparation for counting.
“We cannot use small boats to bring in those ballot boxes and papers as the sea
is too rough and the safety of these election sensitive materials is not
guaranteed.”
Counting for the district will take place at Sialum station and is expected to
start on the weekend after the end of polling on Friday.
Kamake said as of Monday, Sialum local level government had completed its
polling while Wasu LLG was expected to be complete its polling yesterday.
There was an incident at Wandokai (ward 13) where candidates demanded that 36
voters who had not voted because of shortage of ballot papers be allowed to do
so.
“The candidates held back the ballot box but I told them that this was wrong as
it was a one-day polling.
Security personnel were sent there and escorted the box back to Sialum,” he
said.
Kamake said polling in Wasu LLG had been completed while Siassi started polling
on Monday and was expected to be completed before the weekend.
No issues with polling teams, says election
manager
By GLORIA BAUAI in
Madang
MADANG election
manager Sponsa Navi has downplayed security concerns for polling teams
regarding outstanding payments from the last general election and cash
advances.
These concerns were high on the agenda for polling officials from the
Usino-Bundi electorate with assistant returning officers Joe Yama and Sokya
Philkasim saying these might affect their teams.
Navi said although valid, there was no serious security threat from this.
“Prior to going to the polls, there were concerns about being attacked,
materials destroyed and officials chased out but reality is that everyone just
wants to do their polling and await results,” he said.
“With regards to cash advances, I think K500 is sufficient for them; this K500
is per team (with seven officials) for the three to four-day duration of
polling which is the calculation for team advance.
“Also we gave some funding to ROs and AROs which was a lot of cash to look
after the teams as well so I don’t think there’s a major issue there.
“We’ve also already settled that by giving additional money for those groups
that were complaining.”
Navi also denied receiving a petition from polling officials of Usino-Bundi on
Wednesday which they claimed highlighted these concerns and demands.
“I did not get a petition; in fact, I spoke to their RO this morning.”
Proposed venue queried, Bulolo open counting in town
First up … After
quality checks on sensitive election materials over the past few days, polling
officials, security personnel and scrutineers were moved along with the
materials to respective local level governments (LLGs) since Monday. Yesterday
saw different teams conducting polling in different sites in Finschhafen,
Morobe. The district conducted its polling late because of allegations of
hijacking the materials. Polling in the district started yesterday. Pictured
are the first two (male and female) casting their votes at Braun Memorial
Hospital, ward one, Butaweng, Finschhafen Urban LLG, yesterday. – Picture
supplied
COUNTING for the Bulolo open seat in Morobe
will be held in town after candidates queried the proposed new venue at Zenag,
Mumeng.
Bulolo urban assistant returning officer (ARO) Albert Yakamsa said that after a
meeting with candidates, they agreed to count within the township.
Thirty candidates, including two women, are contesting the seat.
He said they were supposed to count on Monday, but candidates raised concern
over the venue and counting strategy.
“We were supposed to start counting on Monday but due to candidates’ concerns,
it was delayed.
“We now reached a consensus to count in Bulolo,” Yakamsa said.
“We started preparing the venue yesterday.” Yakamsa said returning officer
Raune Jombert would announce the specific venue and when counting would
actually start.
“They (candidates) also don’t want parallel counting to be done in LLGs.
“They want counting to be by an LLG, one after the other. So we’ll decide on
that,” Yakamsa said.
He said polling in Bulolo urban ended well last Wednesday, with hiccup on the
issue of electoral roll on first day of polling.
Meanwhile, counting for Lae open has gone into the third day, with count 10 of
Ahi LLG completed. As of count eighth, incumbent and Pangu Pati candidate John
Rosso was leading with 2,812 votes, followed by Mathew Minape (Independent)
-775 and Fabian Peter (People’s National Congress) -562.
Meantime, the Huon Gulf electorate is expect to start counting today at the Lae
Secondary School hall, returning officer Daniel Wasinak said.
Wasinak urged candidates and their scrutineers to let the counting officials to
do their job.
He said the counting of Huon Gulf’s three local level governments – Wampar
rural and urban LLG, Salamua LLG and Morobe (Patrol Post) LLG would be done
today.
Wasinka said there were 86 ballot boxes to be counted, 16 from the Morobe LLG,
14 from Salamua LLG, 16 from Wampar Rural and 40 boxes from Wampar Urban LLG.
He said one box was hijacked at inland Salamua which could not be counted.
The Markham district primary counting started yesterday at the Markham Valley
Secondary School.
Returning officer Willie Pilailo said the three LLGs in the district counted
separately because of the population in each LLG.
“We are counting separately by LLGs because the time is not on our side,”
Pilailo said.
The Umi/Atzera LLG has 10 boxes each (Markham open and Morobe regional) to
count and they are left with nine more to count.
Onga/Waffa LLG has nine boxes each to count, four boxes were counted yesterday
and Leron/Wantoat has 12 boxes each to count.
Two were counted yesterday.
The RO said the district was expecting to complete its counting late this week,
do quality checks over the weekend and then go into the elimination process.
“Umi/Atzera LLG has a large population that will delay our counting,” he said.
Incumbent Koni Iguan (ULP) was leading with 1,681, followed by Paul Esikiel
(PNC) 871 , Andrew Baing (NA) with 825, Kima Paul Kirlau (URP) and Gengewe
Lerita Janzik with 782 (PNG Party).
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