5 nabbed for destroying GE22 ballot boxes, papers
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Security personnel guarding Mendi police station where the ballot boxes are stored for counting. Many sections of the roads leading into Mendi town are closed as the security personnel monitor the movement of people.
5 nabbed for destroying
GE22 ballot boxes, papers
PORT MORESBY: Police
have arrested five men for the destruction of General Election 2022 (GE22) election
ballot boxes and papers as well as other properties in Markham’s Mutzing in
Morobe on July 16, 2022.
Morobe Commander Supt Jacob Singura said on July 21, police with the help
of soldiers investigated and identified the five who were then arrested.
“They are now being held in the Mutzing police station lock-up after
appropriate charged were laid on them,” he added.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the news break and a few GE22 news updates published by The National:
Police arrest five in
Markham
July 25, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
Morobe police commander Superintendent Jacob Singura said on July 21, police
with the assistance of PNG Defence Force personnel at Mutzing conducted an
investigation and identified the five which they arrested them (suspects).
“The suspects were then detained at Mutzing police cell and appropriate charges
were laid on them,” said Singura.
According to PPC Singura, the main suspect that police believed to have
instigated the situation that led to the destruction of properties at Mutzing
station and the disruption of counting process at Markham Valley Secondary
School was one of those that were arrested.
“The main suspect was charged with three counts of malicious damage, arson,
spreading false information and threatening words”.
Singura said the other four suspects were charged with the same charges as well
as unlawful assault and riot.
He also said the joint forces also arrested a person who was drunk in public
and acted disorderly and when police searched him, they found in his possession
51 packs of marijuana and charged him with being in possession of dangerous
drugs.
The six arrested have been transported to Lae and will appear in court today.
“More arrests are expected in the coming week as investigation is still
continuing”
Meanwhile police have received reports that there will be a much bigger unrest
if the incumbent MP Koni Iguan is to be declared as Markham MP by the Electoral
Commission.
Trio drop application to stop count
By BEVERLY PETER
THE application by
three Wapenamanda open candidates including the sitting MP Rimbink Pato to stop
the counting of six ballot boxes was discontinued on Friday.
Judge Joseph Yagi presiding at Waigani National Court granted the leave
following a discontinuation application by the applicants (Pato, Justin Bero
Sarimbu and Danny Terep Katie) through their lawyer Nathan Pilamb.
Pilamb said they sought leave to discontinue the matter because other urgent
election-related applications had been dismissed over the last few weeks.
Solicitor General Tauvasa Tanuvasa, appearing on behalf of the Electoral
Commission and commissioner Simon Sinai, did not object to the discontinuation
application but asked the Court to order the applicants to pay the cost of his
appearance.
Yagi when granting leave to discontinue the matter ordered the applicants to
pay the cost of Tanuvasa’s appearances in the matter.
The defendants were returning officer Kevin Yati, Enga election manager Anton
Iamau and Sinai.
Do not disrupt counting, says candidate
By JIMMY KALEBE
A CONTESTANT for the
Bulolo open seat in Morobe is urging all candidates contesting seats in Morobe
to refrain from engaging in activities that will disrupt counting of ballots.
Sam Basil Jr, who is contesting Bulolo open, said disrupting counting would
undermine the electoral process and candidates needed to be sensible and
encourage their supporters not to do that.
“We as candidates, should not be present at the counting venues. We have to
stay away from counting venues and let the election officials, scrutineers and
the security personnel do their job,” Basil Jr said.
He said for candidates to be at the counting venues when the counting was going
on was unlawful and all candidates needed to be aware of this.
He said with the counting in some districts of Morobe being disrupted as a
result of misunderstandings between scrutineers, supporters and their
candidates, aspiring leaders needed to behave accordingly.
He said time was running out for the completion of the electoral process as the
deadline for the return of writes was on Friday.
Sinai orders counting of 12 disputed boxes
Security personnel
guarding Mendi police station where the ballot boxes are stored for counting.
Many sections of the roads leading into Mendi town are closed as the security
personnel monitor the movement of people.
By PETER WARI
ELECTORAL Commissioner Simon Sinai has directed 12 ballot boxes for the
Imbonggu Open electorate in Southern Highlands be admitted for counting after
an objection by a candidate.
Former MP and Works Minister Francis Awesa last Monday objected to the 12
ballot boxes for Piambil one and two (A-E) respectively and Tona A and B in the
Imbonggu local level government (LLG).
Sinai in a letter addressed to Imbonggu returning officer Kelma Pora said he
had treated the matter as an objection under Section 153A of the Organic Law
and his decision was that all ballot boxes be admitted into scrutiny or
counting.
Sinai said the objection was not addressed to RO Pora nor it was addressed to his
office pursuant to the Organic Law and was therefore defective and refused. He
said the ballot boxes would therefore be admitted for counting.
He said matters raised in the objection were unverified, lacked credibility,
and did not show polling for the wards in question were hijacked as alleged.
Sinai added that there was no clear evidence the voters were denied their
rights to vote and all boxes were safely brought to the counting centre.
Peace restored in Porgera, police create
separate taskforce for Enga
By GLORIA BAUAI
POLICE Commissioner
David Manning says a separate taskforce has been created to respond to the
tribal fighting and killings in Porgera, Enga.
He said this after normalcy was restored to the district as well as other parts
of the province after a week of violence where some 30 people, both men and
women, were killed in Porgera during a tribal fight allegedly over land in the
gold rich district.
Manning said a senior police officer had already been appointed to act as the
field commander while the command structures were being put in place.
“We have informed Correctional Service Commissioner Stephen Pokanis and the PNG
Defence Force Commander Major General Mark Goina that we need to send up a
separate taskforce – not using the current force on the ground,” he said.
“The separate taskforce will comprise of 120 or one company from the PNGDF,
four squads from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary as well as the
assistance of one or two platoons from CS.
“Our request for additional support from PNGDF has already been actioned with
20 soldiers from Moem Barracks currently on the ground in Enga.
“The advance deployment of one squad and the field commander has joined them
today (Saturday); as we progress over the week, we’ll have more platoons and
the mobile squads up. So the special taskforce is already in place.
Manning said Porgera mine would be protected, but the idea was to deal with the
problem rather than going direct to the mine.
EC: No more petitions
July 25, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
By LULU MAGINDE
ELECTORAL Commissioner
Simon Sinai has instructed all Returning Officers (ROs) and their assistants
not to accept any more petitions or disputes and to complete counting without
delay.
“We need to return the General Elections 2022 (GE22) writs of all 118
parliamentary and provincial seats on Friday,” he said.
“So the counting of ballots must continue day and night without any further
delay.
“As we’re running closer to the return of writs, we have made a lot of changes
and applying changes in the process to speed up counting.
“Those of us who are participating with the ROs, we require your cooperation
and attention.”
Sinai said he discussed with Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae last week about
extending the deadline “but there is no hope for it”.
“So I am doing everything within my powers to get this election done. I am not
going to listen to any scrutineers or complaints from anyone,” he said.
He appealed to the scrutineers and candidates to take their complaints or
queries to the right forum, which they are aware of.
“With the counting that has been observed and monitored, there’s a lot of
interference by the scrutineers, candidates and supporters, which puts the
election officials under immense pressure,” he said.
“All stakeholders should respect the electoral process and don’t interfere with
the counting because the officials have a mandated duty not to be obstructed to
count ballots.”
He said the world was watching “with the international observers monitoring and
reporting everything that’s happening”.
“Please act respectfully,” he said.
Polling has been completed in 21 provinces.
“The only exception is Laigam district in Enga due to ongoing violence.”
Fifteen electorates have already been declared and more than 80 are
transmitting counting updates which can be viewed on the EC results webpage.
He thanked the Australian Defence Force for their support during the GE22.
They returned to Australia on Saturday.
Supplementary
elections to be held: Sinai
July 25, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
THERE will be a supplementary election held in
Kabwum and Markham, Morobe following the burning of ballot papers there, says
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.
“We have seen people getting mad at the polling place and for the counting,
this is the first time in election history,” he said.
“Obviously the writs have to be withdrawn and we’ll have supplementary
elections.
“To make it worse, it happened in a coastal province where we weren’t expecting
it.
“That’s a different matter altogether.”
Sinai was referring to the burning of ballot papers and other properties in
Markham and Kabwum on July 16 and 18 respectively by supporters of candidates.
Sinai said such criminal acts were unheard of and stressed that it was why an
election advisory committee was needed to make assessments on such incidents
and find solutions.
He discussed with Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae last week the idea of setting
up an election advisory committee, as provided under section 96C of the
Electoral Law, to provide advice to the Electoral Commission.
The committee would be made up of the Chief Ombudsman or his nominee, a nominee
from Transparency International PNG and one nominated by Sinai who is a retired
judge.
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