Come out in large numbers to cast your ballots: O’Neill

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Come out in large numbers to cast your ballots: O’Neill

PORT MORESBY: Former prime minister Peter O’Neill has asked Papua New Guineans to come out in large numbers to cast their ballots for General Election 2022 (GE22).

“Do not be discouraged by the GE22 polling chaos,” he added.

“I am voting in my home in Ialibu-Pangia and I expect all to cast their ballots to exercise your constitutional rights nationwide,” he added.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the news break and a few GE22 news updates as reported by The National:




Cast your votes: O’Neill

July 11, 2022The NationalMain Stories

FORMER prime minister Peter O’Neill has asked Papua New Guineans to come out in large numbers to cast their ballots for General Election 2022 (GE22).
“Do not be discouraged by the GE22 chaos,” he said.
“I am voting in my home in Ialibu-Pangia and I expect all to cast their ballots to exercise your constitutional rights nationwide.”
He said stories and talks of widespread election fraud, compromises, incompetence and major issues that point to this being the worst election in history should not deter anyone from voting.
“Do not give up on democracy,” he said.
“Vote and do so peacefully.”
O’Neill said there were many people talking about this being a complete failed election and “I can understand your frustrations.”
“Failing is not an option as the future of our nation depends on a change taking place.
“This will not be a failed election and change is coming.
“I know it looks bad right now, and you are right to be disappointed, but we have a long history of pulling through together because the one thing that binds us as a nation is our strong desire for democracy.
“So please have your say and vote in GE22.”
Meanwhile, Southern Highlands Commander Chief Inspector Daniel Yangen said he was preparing the province for today’s polling with awareness campaigns, random roadblocks and checks and even a clean-up in Mendi.
He said the security forces were ready and prepared.
“The Quick Response Force on the ground comprises Police Mobile Squad and PNG Defence Force soldiers as well as local policemen and women,” he said.
“We are also waiting for the roll-over teams to arrive from Enga to boost our manpower strength to monitor all the polling centres.”


GE22 polling expected to end this week

POLLING for General Elections (GE22) has started in 17 of 22 provinces and is expected to finish in most parts of the country this week.
Certain electorates in the Highlands, New Guinea Islands, Mamose and Southern all faced delays due to either transportation of materials, security personnel, logistics or stakeholder issues.
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai in response to this, emphasised that the commission could only carry out the election if all stakeholders respected and followed the rules, the officials and each other.
“The elections are delivered by people in your communities; they are your teachers, social workers, mothers and fathers,” he said.
“These are people you know, who are committed to delivering this election in your community so please respect them and the process.”
With the exception of Hela, polling will continue in all provinces that held polling last week, with one-day polling to be carried out throughout the rest of the highlands but expected to end in Enga today.
The final five provinces and electorates are to go to the polls beginning this week with Southern Highlands and National Capital’s Moresby North-East electorate (July 11), Eastern Highlands (July 12), Jiwaka, Western Highlands (July 13) and Chimbu (July 15).
Sinai encouraged voters yet to cast their vote to look for their names on the roll lookup which can be found on the android play store or on the Electoral Commission’s website www.pngec.gov.pg.


Only 350 ballot papers for 800-plus villagers

One of the oldest woman in Manumanu village of Central, Mala Davai, being helped by her niece Hane Karai to cast her vote on Thursday in Manumanu. It was the fifth time Davai had voted. – Nationalpic by AILEEN KWARAGU

By AILEEN KWARAGU
MANUMANU village in Central did not have enough ballot papers for its 800-plus eligible voters because only 350 ballot papers were supplied by the Electoral Commission.
Presiding officer of team 18 and 19 polling in Hiri-Koiari Patrick Igo Boio said Kido village had more ballot papers.
“From my own perspective, there was an error with the typing on Manumanu’s ballot papers because Kido had more compared to the total on their common roll,” he said.
Boio said he realised the shortage on the team’s arrival in Manumanu last week.
He said he was advised by the electorate’s assistant returning officer (ARO) Faroro Vaibi to use his discretion to resolve the issue.
“Due to time and distance, I called my ARO and got permission to use the left-over ballot papers from Kido village which was accepted,” he said.
He said a letter was drafted from the village and all scrutineers involved signed as proof to use Kido’s ballot papers.
He added that more than 700 voted in Manumanu which was the highest without complaints and issues.
Boio and his team spent two days in Kido and ended the polling at Manumanu on Thursday.
Meanwhile, counting in Central was scheduled to start today.


Moresby North-West residents used other names to vote

By LULU MAGINDE
POLLING for the National Capital (NCD) took place on Friday, with some people not being registered to vote, while some did double or multiple voting.
The National spoke to an individual at Ipi Park in Moresby North-West, who had cast his vote three times and was about to attempt a fourth, when polling officials recognised his face from the first time he was there and angrily sent him away.
Although he chose not to reveal his name, the man from Enga and long-time resident of Hohola Three, had strategically chosen his first three times to vote at three of six polling booths stationed on the field and had removed the “indelible” ink using a solvent mixture.
There were instances of people not being allowed to vote, even though they participated in the common roll update; people being allowed to vote even though their names were not on the roll and people using other names to vote.
Lovely Doka from Enga, a resident of Hohola Three, told The National that she knew that someone else had used her name to vote and although she was not okay with it, she was not as bothered because she was going to do the same.
First-time voter Michelle Kakale said polling for that particular station felt disorganised and rushed, as she witnessed certain individuals joining lines in different booths to vote twice.
Whitehouse settlement resident Nancy Karap found that there was a mix up in the lists, as some of those who had been living in Whitehouse all their life, herself included, had their names registered and transferred to Morata.
“I’m not going to Morata to vote because I don’t know anyone there and if I do I will be targeted for questioning and accused of something,” she said.
Experienced voter Emma Waikus, after casting her vote, said she knew those living in the settlements had given their names during the common roll update but weren’t able to vote because their names weren’t on the updated list.
“The Electoral Commission really should have updated their list before proceeding with polling.”

Candidate fails to stop election

July 11, 2022The NationalMain Stories

THE Waigani National Court has dismissed Port Moresby-South independent candidate Jimmy Dia Lyipita’s application to halt the election in the electorate because of his failure to comply with a court order.
Judge Joseph Yagi said on Friday that the court under order 10, rule nine, and sub-rule 15 of the National Court Rule, had the power to dismiss court proceedings when applicants failed to comply with court orders.
“The applicant (Lyipita) failed to provide affidavit of proof of service to the State and for not appearing in court this (Friday) morning as the court directed,” Justice Yagi said.
He said the matter came before the court on Thursday for hearing but there was no proper service to the respondents and the court directed Lyipita to serve and provide evidence to show that service was effected.
“This was not done and he had also failed to appear and for that, the proceeding is summarily dismissed and the parties to bear their own costs,” Justice Yagi said.
This follows Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (EC) and Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai’s lawyer Moses Ninkama’s application to dismiss the proceeding due to Lyipita’s non-appearance.
Ninkama said: “Seems that Lyipita is not serious in prosecuting the matter since he did appear on time set.
“For that, we make an application to dismiss the proceeding for want of prosecution at court’s discretion.”
Lyipita entered the court late, just before Justice Yagi finished his order and sat at the bar table but didn’t get a chance to make his appearance as the court was adjourned right after.
Lyipita, in the proceeding, claimed that EC allegedly had an agreement with the National Capital District Commission which might cause a conflict of interest and that should be cleared.
He wanted the court to order Sinai to provide the updated common roll for each ward and gazetted polling sites for the purpose of a free, fair and safe GE22.
Lyipita said he wanted those documents because electoral officials, allegedly, through the agreement, had altered the number of voters in certain wards in Moresby South.
He filed the application saying that rights of the citizens to vote and stand for public office was at risk due to those allegations.
Lyipita outside of court said he was late because he was running around to serve the documents as court order.
He added that he would appeal the decision as it was made ex-parte.


Candidates call for RO to take up post

By CLARISSA MOI
MORESBY North-East candidates in the General Election 2022 (GE22) are concerned about the deferral of the polling for the electorate pointing out the likelihood of problems arising as other electorates already completed polling on Friday.
Some of the 76 candidates of Moresby North-East gathered at the Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium on Friday to be addressed by the National Capital District election manager Kila Ralai following the resignation of Moresby North-East returning officer Billy George on Friday morning.
Female candidate Tania Bale told Ralai that there was no excuse for a delay.
“This is not incompetence, this is by design, it’s deliberate,” she said.
“We want clear communication with the returning officer and give us clear dates for polling.”
NCD regional candidate Andy Bawa said the delaying of polling for the electorate was not the best thing for the people.
“Get things fixed,” he said.
“We don’t want another delay again on Monday (today).
“Delays are doing injustice and depriving the rights of our people.”
Bawa also noted that Moresby North-West and Moresby South electorates had completed polling on Friday and with Moresby North-East polling today, there could be an influx of people going to Moresby North-East polling sites to vote again.
“We are going to have compounding problems,” the former senior police officer said.
“Why are you delaying the Moresby North-East polling? Someone needs to find out.
“And if someone is causing this, expose and dispose of that person.”


Moresby North-East voters go to poll

Taies Sansan 

Moresby South Candidate Michelle Hau’Ofa casting her ballot at the polling station at Town Police station in Port Moresby on Friday. – Nationalpic by NICKY BERNARD

TWO of the three electorates in the National Capital District (NCD) went to the polls on Friday while polling for Moresby North-East electorate was differed to today.
Department of Personnel Management secretary Taies Sansan learnt about the deferral of the polling after casting her vote at Gerehu in the Moresby North-West electorate on Friday.
She said if polling for North-East was differed, then the public servants living the area should go and vote. She stressed that all these deferral of election dates would have major economic implications on the country.
“So we are expecting the scheduled polling to at least start as planned,” she said.
“Now for those public servants living in the North-East area, we need to give them time to go and vote.”
Sansan highlighted that it was good to have separate polling booths for males and females.
“It’s really good.
“We are thankful to PNG Electoral Commission and the government for coming up with this policy programme where there are two different lines for males and females,” Sansan said.
Sansan was glad she voted.
The polling for NCD was scheduled for last Monday initially but was deferred to Wednesday and then to Friday where Moresby North-West and Moresby South went ahead while the returning officer for Moresby North-East announced the deferral and also his resignation.
NCD election manager Kila Ralai announced that the election of Moresby North-East would be today.


Ralai accepts blame for deferred polling

NATIONAL Capital District election manager Kila Ralai has accepted responsibility for the deferred polling in Moresby North-East and pledged to work with all stakeholders to have polling today.
Ralai, who bore the brunt of candidates and their supporters’ frustrations after the deferral of polling for North-East, assured them that he would work to get returning officer Billy George back to run the polling after he had announced his resignation at midday on Friday.
He accepted blame for not ensuring North-East polling had started on schedule.
Polling in NCD was scheduled for Friday and while the other two electorates, Moresby North West and Moresby South, had got underway election officials for Moresby North-East were still sorting out ballot boxes and papers.
Ralai said George had resigned because of mounting pressure.
“Now the candidates want us to come back, we will deliver the election,” Ralai said.
Candidates had also called for Ralai’s resignation for his handling of George and polling in the North-East but later called for George to return and for Ralai to work with him to ensure polling was completed.
Ralai said Moresby North-East was incomplete with the process of its four wards, 5, 6, 9 and 12 for the 201 polling stations.
Ralai said they were still doing the distribution of the ballot papers and time caught up with them and they were unable to poll on Friday.
Ralai said those voters from the other electorates – North-West and South – would not be allowed to vote in North-East today.


Gulf to extend polling period, says election manager

By JAMIE HARO in Kerema
POLLING in Gulf has been extended to another week as polling stations in local level governments (LLGs) are yet to complete the activity, an official says.
Gulf election manager Poevare Tore confirmed this after several deferrals were made to transfer all ballot boxes to Gulf’s 10 LLGs.
“We started polling last Tuesday and were expected to complete it by Friday, however due to logistics issues, we were forced to delay polling again for the remaining LLGs,” he said.
Tore said while four out of six LLGs in the Kerema open wre nearly into completion of the polling period, the other four LLGs in the Kikori open would start polling this week.
“We just distributed ballot boxes to the two remaining LLGs of Kerema open (Kaintiba and Kotidanga LLGs), while Ihu, Baimuru, East and West Kikori LLGs have already received theirs, and are expected to complete polling on Friday this week to ensure all boxes arrive on time for counting,” he explained.
The provincial returning officer said more people had been unable to vote as their names had not been on the common.

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