Electoral Commission’s GE22 mess inexcusable

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Electoral Commission’s GE22 mess inexcusable

PORT MORESBY: The Elections Commission (EC) has been condemned by Papua New Guineans from all sectors for the chaotic conduct of General Election 2022 (GE22).

The judiciary and business community yesterday (July 6, 2022) described the deferral of polling in the National Capital, the second time this week, as a “waste, disruptive, unacceptable and inexcusable”.

And former prime minister and New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan said Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai should be held accountable for depriving the rights of thousands of people to cast their votes nationwide.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few GE22 news updates published by The National:

Inexcusable

July 7, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By HELEN TARAWA and DALE LUMA
THE judiciary and business community yesterday condemned the deferral of polling in the National Capital District (NCD), calling it a “waste, disruptive, unacceptable and inexcusable”.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, who visited the Electoral Commission office to find out the reason for the postponement of polling, said the day was wasted as staff of the judiciary had already been allowed time off work to go and cast their votes.
Ian Tarutia, the president of the PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it as disruptive, unacceptable, inexcusable, and costly to the business community.
The one-day polling in the NCD, which was initially scheduled for Monday, had to be deferred to tomorrow because election officials said they still had to sort out some election materials.
Yesterday, NCD Election Manager Kila Ralai blamed the candidates and their scrutineers for the deferral of the polling, saying they had “disrupted the election process”.
Tarutia said workers, taxpayers and eligible voters did not deserve to be “inconvenienced because of the incompetency of the electoral administrative process”.
“It is disruptive, costly and an inconvenience to workers and business houses in the NCD,” Tarutia said.
“This is unacceptable and inexcusable.
“Now we hear that it is Friday.
“Is this a certainty?” Tarutia said it was “bad enough” that “half the voting population will miss out because their names were missing from the common roll.
“If the new date for voting is Friday, make sure the voting takes place on Friday.
“No more changes,” he said.
Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rio Fiocco said it was disappointing that the deferral was decided “late”.
Ralai blamed the candidates and their scrutineers for disrupting the election process.
“During our election preparation, there was interference by the candidates and scrutineers which delayed the whole process,” he said.
“We are trying to manage the administration and the efficiency of the election process in the NCD.
“I attended to their grievances which prolonged the process.”
Ralai apologised to the voters in the capital city.
“I understand that the voters, candidates, scrutineers, supporters, partners, security personnel were at the polling sites,” he said.
“The process and efficiency of the election are more important than the date set.
“Friday, July 8 is the date we have now confirmed for polling in NCD.”
He warned the scrutineers that their “line of duty is to observe, not to direct (election) officers”.
“It is the duty of Returning Officers and their assistants to give (instructions). Get instructions from (them),” he said.
“We will regroup and prepare ourselves to conduct a free, fair and just election for NCD.”

Sinai must be held accountable: Sir J

July 7, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By HELEN TARAWA
FORMER Prime Minister and current New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan says Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai should be held accountable for depriving the rights of hundreds of people to cast their votes.
Sir Julius was responding to reports of people being disallowed to take part in the General Election 2022 because their names were not in the common roll.
“Coordinators and implementers were incompetent, and due to the constant changes, the system has confused people and the common roll had been outdated,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Sinai were unsuccessful.
Sir Julius said the biggest concern was that the common roll had not been updated for years.
He and Lady Stella cast their votes on Monday at the Danmarik Primary School polling station in Matalai, Namatanai.
“New Ireland has always been a peaceful province and the people are law-abiding citizens,” he said.
Speaking of candidate numbers, Sir Julius said his People’s Progress Party remained strong.
“It’s tough when you don’t have resources.
“Many came but only a few will be chosen,” Sir Julius said.

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3-day polling not enough, says official

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
THE three days allocated for polling in some rural areas are not enough as some election officials have to walk long distances to reach remote polling stations, an official says.
Drekikier local level government assistant Returning Officer Beno Patrick told The National that some polling teams had to walk ton remote areas where there were no roads.
“Polling began on Monday but there are so many issues delaying the polling process,” he said.
Patrick said they needed more time to reach these remote areas which could only be accessed by foot in the district.
He said they were facing three major issues.
“Logistical support is very poor, ballot papers being brought to the polling sites have not been calculated according to the total voting populations, and many eligible voters do not have names in the electoral rolls,” he said.
“So many voters in the Drekikier LLG, the largest in the electorate, have raised their concerns about the electoral rolls.”
Patrick also pointed out that many voters had to walk long distances to reach the polling stations, only to find out that their names were missing.
“Out of frustration, these angry voters want to pick a fight with the polling teams.
“But there was nothing the polling team could do.
“There was also insufficient police officers at the polling station.”
He said polling officials sympathised with the people who had been denied their constitutional right to elect a leader of their choice.

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Election manager vows organised polling, counting in capital

By HELEN TARAWA
NATIONAL Capital District (NCD) election manager Kila Ralai has promised to run a thorough and well-organised polling and counting operation in the capital city.
“We are trying our best to deliver the election for NCD (which) previously was in chaos,” he said.
“I just want to manage this election (following) the process.
“Administratively, we will do a showcase for NCD and rest of PNG.
“We need to do it thoroughly and manage it properly rather than rushing things.
“We are not disorganised.
“We are set – (it’s) just the posts to be placed in order before we deliver the elections.”
He also dismissed claims that there were two additional ballot boxes received for the Moresby North East electorate.
He clarified that the 58 ballot boxes received from Air Transport Wing were rechecked and shown to the scrutineers. “I have already dealt with that case and it’s over.
“I don’t want to rush if things do not work out.
“I want the election to be smooth, fair and just.”
Moresby North East candidates and their scrutineers had alleged that two of the 58 boxes were tampered with because the seals had been opened.
They petitioned Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai about their concerns and demanded that polling for NCD be deferred until these issues were resolved.
Meanwhile, Moresby North East Returning Officer Billy George said they cancelled a training for polling officials on Tuesday night.
“We (cancelled it) because of time factor,” he said.
“Since it was getting late and we had the candidates and scrutineers inside the building, we conducted the pre-check of ballot boxes.
“There was no training (on Tuesday night).”

Security personnel ‘must vote’

July 7, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By JIMMY KALEBE
GOVERNMENT security personnel who were tasked to provide security at polling sites throughout the country should be given a chance to vote, an official says.
Lae Metropolitan police commander Chief Supt Chris Kunyanban said in past elections, personnel from police, PNG Defence Force and Correctional Services on deployment to provide security did not get the opportunity to vote which was a constitutional right of all Papua New Guineans.
He added that this was also true for polling officials, some of whom did not have the chance to vote due to their work.
“The next government should seriously consider this and make room for such people providing security during the polling to vote as well,” he said.
“This is their constitutional right that they have been deprived off.”
Kunyanban said the issue had been brought up with the PNG Electoral Commission but, so far, this agency had not responded favourably.
“To be honest, I have not been voting for the last few election periods while working as a policeman and this year was my first ever to vote at the Bumbu Police Barracks,” he said.
“During those past elections, I was fully engaged to provide security and couldn’t vote.”
Kunyanban said most police, PNG Defence Force and Correctional Services personnel providing security at polls around the country could not vote.
“Some of them are deployed on duty at sites where they do not have names on common rolls and they are automatically out and cannot vote,” he said.

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Mendi prepares for counting

Have your say … Opposition Leader and Vanimo Green MP Belden Namah casting his vote in his village of Somboi in Bewani, West Sepik, yesterday. He urged people to vote in this General Election 2022. He said changes will only come when people vote at the polls. – Picture supplied

POLICE in Southern Highlands supported by business houses and youths did a clean-a-thon at Mendi town yesterday in preparation
for counting to be held at Momei Oval next week after polling on Monday.
Acting police commander Chief Supt Daniel Yangen led police in visits to every corner of the town advising people to stop street vending and relocate to sites away from town or return to their wards and prepare for counting.
“Mendi town is not like a town, people are selling betel nuts, cigarettes, store goods, fried kaukau and lamp flaps and rubbish piled up everywhere,” he said.
“Street vending is attracting dozens of lazy people who could trigger problems during the counting.
“That is why we have stopped all street sales in town and will start to set up roadblocks at entry points and will monitor the movement of people.”
Yangen said people who wanted to do genuine businesses could travel to town but he did not want opportunists to roam around town.
He said police had issued warning to illegal liquor vendors to stop their businesses during the counting period.