Electoral bombshell in Wewak, court restrains EC from counting

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Electoral bombshell in Wewak, court restrains EC from counting

PORT MORESBY: The National Court in Wewak has restrained the Electoral Commission (EC) from counting ballot papers for Wewak until further orders.

Acting Judge Taunamo Micah Rei issued the order on Friday following applications made by candidates Raphael Saulep (Independent), Stanley Muts Samban (Papua New Guinea Party) and Jerry Junembary (People’s Transformation Party).

Judge Rei also restrained the EC from counting ballot papers for Wewak in the six proposed counting centres until further orders.

The six proposed counting centres for Wewak are Wewak Island, Dagua, Boikin, Wewak Local, Wewak Urban and Turubu.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the report on electoral bombshell in Wewak and a few General Election 2022 news updates as published by The National:

Electoral bombshell

July 13, 2022The NationalMain Stories

THE National Court in Wewak has restrained the Electoral Commission (EC) from counting ballot papers for Wewak until further court orders.
Acting Judge Taunamo Micah Rei issued the order last Friday following applications made by candidates Raphael Saulep (Independent), Stanley Muts Samban (Papua New Guinea Party) and Jerry Junembary (People’s Transformation Party).
Judge Rei also restrained the EC from counting ballot papers for Wewak in the six proposed counting centres until further orders.
The six proposed counting centres for Wewak are: Wewak Island, Dagua, Boikin, Wewak Local, Wewak Urban and Turubu.
The matter returns to court on Monday.
Saulep, Samban and Junembary filed the case on the grounds that the counting of ballot papers for Wewak open in six separate counting centres is unjustifiable, unreasonable and is inconsistent with the EC’s duty to ensure the integrity of the counting for Wewak.
According to the originating summons, the trio are seeking the National Court to compel the EC to arrange a single counting centre.
Wewak Returning Officer Vincent Kavi, Provincial Returning Officer Thaddeus Ulapapik and the EC were named as defendants in the case.
Wewak is contested by 35 candidates. East Sepik’s other six seats are Ambunti-Dreikikir, Angoram, East Sepik Provincial, Maprik, Wosera-Gaui and Yangoru-Saussia.
As listed by the EC, East Sepik is made up of 28 local level governments comprising 659 wards with 691 polling stations featuring 774 polling booths.
Polling was conducted from July 4 to 8.

Polling officials suspended: RO

July 13, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By AILEEN KWARAGU
TWO polling officials in the Moresby South electorate were suspended from duty yesterday for allegedly being in possession of General Election 2022 (GE22) ballot paper buds, says Returning Officer Tau Toea.
He said that the two officers allegedly used the buds to compile their polling figures without notifying him.
“The two were on their way to the counting venue when they were caught in possession of the buds,” Toea told The National yesterday.
He said a commotion arose when scrutineers of candidates for the Regional and Moresby-South seats questioned them.
Toea said the case was handed over to the Police Criminal Investigation Division to handle.
“The buds will be given to police and the teams will also make sure that those buds correspond with the ones in the boxes,” he said.
He said the two officers from Ward Four had failed to follow instructions.
“As the returning officer, I will have to suspend them indefinitely for not complying with instructions,” Toea said.
“Their reappointment will depend on the result of the police investigation.”
Meanwhile, he said counting for the Moresby-South and the Regional seats should start tomorrow at the Rita Flynn Indoor courts.

People of Bundi call for service delivery

By GLORIA BAUAI
THE common call in the mountains of the Bundi local level government in Usino-Bundi, is for service delivery – as people cast their votes this week.
Mother-of-four Cathy Gene, of Bundikara Ward One, who voted on Monday said she wanted an improvement in health services.
She gave birth to her first child at the Bundi sub-health center, while her three younger children were delivered at home.
“It’s too far to walk that I might give birth along the way,” she said.
“So the better option was to await my delivery time at home.”
Fellow villager Henry Koga wants to see good roads to help people move around faster.
“My wife would have died while pregnant if it was not for a local foundation which helped in transporting her to Chimbu where she underwent a procedure at the theater,” he said.
“We have suffered for too long. Now we elect only those we know will deliver services when in office.”
Bundi station ward 15 does not have a government station.
Lucas Gumurai said there were no police, health and agriculture officers, no sub-district workers.
“Our sub-health center has no health worker,” he said.
“So we walk for a day down to Bramen to access health services.”
The 403 eligible voters as per the common roll in Bundi Station voted on Tuesday.
Team 230 presiding officer Michael Koring said the one-day polling was trouble-free.
Ward 15 councillor Vitus Kianunga said the people had been yearning for changes over the years.
He hopes to see changes in leadership this year.

Let ambulance pass, St John appeals

PAPUA New Guineans must stop hindering or obstructing St John Ambulance emergency operations and services, St John says in a statement.
“Our ambulance officers and staff were prevented from attending to reports of a shooting and multiple casualties in Port Moresby,” the statement said.
“Multiple ambulances and paramedics responded to the call and arrived at the scene within minutes and tried to render aid to the victims.”
However, ambulance staff were blocked from attending to the casualties by some members of the community who were angry about the shooting and demanded that the police command attended the scene before allowing ambulance officers to treat the victims.
“Our ambulance officers are dedicated to their role in saving lives and serving others,” it said.
“Obstructing ambulance staff endangers other people’s lives.
“Please always allow ambulance staff to do their life-saving work.”

Polling in Central nearing completion

POLLING in Central is nearing the end but two polling teams in the Woitape local level government (LLG) of Goilala are yet to start the exercise, says Returning Officer Theodore Maia.
He told The National that the delay was due to logistics issues in the electorate.
“We have 17 teams in the Woitape LLG and 15 have completed their polling,” he said.
“Two are yet to be transported to their locations.
“The distance, if they are to walk, is estimated to take the teams about a day and a half.”
He said the only way was to have the teams airlifted. Maia said polling in Guari and Tapini had been completed and 28 ballot boxes for the Tapini LLG had already been transported to Port Moresby.
“Transporting ballot boxes has been a challenge for us in the district but we hope to have all ballot boxes in the station ready for extraction by tomorrow,” he added.
He said counting for Goilala was scheduled to begin at the end of the week.
Meanwhile, polling in Goilala has been peaceful despite minor issues caused by supporters.

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