GE22 in shambles: O’Neill
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GE22 in shambles: O’Neill
PORT MORESBY: Former prime minister and Ialibu-Pangia MP
Peter O’Neill says Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s General Election 2022 (GE22) is in
shambles with lives lost and properties destroyed.
He also questioned why
Police Commissioner David Manning was lodging a complaint with the Electoral
Commissioner (Simon Sinai) that some ballot boxes from Kuare Local Level
Government should not be counted.
“Manning, in a letter to
Sinai, states that he is acting on a complaint from Pangu Pati candidate
Stanley Liria, and drops the name of the primne minister (James Marape), the leader
of Pangu Pati,” O’Neill said in a media statement.
“It would seem very
clear to any reasonable person that this letter from Manningf is nothing more
than a veil for the Pangu Pati and is biased and designed only to interfere in
what has been a peaceful and properly conducted polling and counting so far in
Ialibu-Pangia,” he added.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the news break and a few GE22 news updates as published by The National:
GE22 is a mess: MP
July 19, 2022The NationalMain Stories
He also questioned why Police Commissioner David Manning was lodging a
complaint with the Electoral Commissioner that some ballot boxes from the Kuare
local level government should not be counted.
“The commissioner (Manning) in a letter to the Electoral Commissioner (Simon
Sinai) states that he is acting on a complaint from Pangu Pati candidate
Stanley Liria, and drops the name of Prime Minister (James Marape), the leader
of the Pangu Pati,” O’Neill said in a statement.
“It would seem very clear to any reasonable person that this letter from the
police commissioner is nothing more than a veil for the Pangu Pati and is
biased and designed only to interfere in what has been a peaceful and properly
conducted polling and counting so far in Ialibu-Pangia.
“It is difficult for the Pangu Pati to accept that after the reported K20
million spent during the campaign by their candidate (Liria) to secure the
Ialibu-Pangia electorate, that the people of Ialibu Pangia are not so easily
swayed.”
O’Neill urged Manning to focus instead on his job as police commissioner and
address the election-related violence.
“Enga has been at war for a week and Mutzing and Kabwum counting venues have
been burned to the ground,” O’Neill said.
He also urged Electoral Commissioner Sinai “not to be daunted by (such)
ridiculous claims”.
No comments could be obtained from Manning or Sinai yesterday on O’Neill’s
statement.
Counting stopped for LLG’s boxes
COUNTING of votes from
the Kuare local level government in Ialibu-Pangia, Southern Highlands, was
suspended yesterday while officials tried to reconcile figures at the Momei
Oval counting centre in Mendi.
The presiding officers and their assistants were told to reconcile the figures
from their returns (journals) before counting could resume today.
Counting continued for Ialibu Urban, East Pangia, Kewabi and Last Wiru local
level governments (LLGs).
Ten boxes from the Kuare LLG had to be put aside after scrutineers alleged they
were disputed boxes. The 10 disputed boxes were from the 17 boxes allocated to
the LLG – 10 boxes in Ialibu-Pangia and seven in Kagua-Erave. The LLG is on the
border of the two electorates.
Returning Officer Ronald Rambu authorised the counting to go ahead before the
discrepancy emerged.
Rambu said the candidates and their scrutineers had been advised to obtain a
court order last Wednesday. But after five days, no order was forthcoming. He
ordered to go ahead with the counting.
“As the returning officer, I do not have the authority to stop the counting,”
he said.
“Only a court order can stop it.”
“Some powers of returning officers were withdrawn by the Electoral Commission
(EC).
“The issue raised has been forwarded to the EC.
“I am taking note of the queries raised by the scrutineers.”
Kalaut urges police to stick to constitutional
duties
POLICE must remain
neutral throughout the General Election 2022 and focus only on their
constitutional duties, a former senior police officer says.
Former Assistant Commissioner of Police Sylvester Kalaut said police officers
must not interfere with the work of the Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai by
attempting to stop the counting of the ballot papers. Kalaut was responding to
a letter dated July 17 allegedly by Police Commissioner David Manning addressed
to Sinai, stating that police had received a complaint about the hijacking of
polling and election fraud in the Kuare local level government of
Ialibu-Pangia, Southern Highlands.
The complainant was lodged with police by Pangu Pati candidate for the
Ialibu-Pangia Open seat Stanley Liria. In the letter, Manning told Sinai to
ensure that the ballot papers from Kuare were not counted.
Kalaut said Manning and members of the constabulary should perform their duties
without fear, favour or malice as per the police code of ethics.
“It is a critical time in every general election,” he said.
“As constitutional office holders, let’s not interfere. Police are there to
provide security (only).
“Stopping the counting or anything to do with election is to be done by the
Electoral Commissioner (Sinai).”
Kalaut, however, commended Manning and members of the police force for ensuring
that the national event was conducted safely in most parts of the country.
Marape happy with
progress
July 19, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
He was the first to be declared the winner of his Tari-Pori seat, followed by
his deputy and Lae MP John Rosso, then Margarima MP Manasseh Makiba, followed
yesterday by Hela Governor Philip Undialu.
“Rosso retained his seat with 26,864 votes. This morning (yesterday), the
sitting MP for Margarima Manasseh Makiba retained his seat with 20,753 votes,”
Marape said.
Undialu polled 118,113 votes to be declared the winner by the Provincial
Election Manager John Tipa.
Prime Minister Marape, in the Pangu camp in Wewak, said he was not surprised to
see sitting MPs retaining their seats.
“(It) shows the good work they have done under the Pangu-led government,” he
said.
“We also have more of our candidates leading in seats across the country and we
expect to do well as counting progresses.
“We have also campaigned hard and the combination of good candidates and good
campaigns delivered good results.”
Marape said if Pangu picked up more seats, they would invite their coalition
partners and like-minded independent candidates to join their camp in Wewak.
WHP polling progressing peacefully: Chief
POLLING in Western
Highlands progressed peacefully yesterday even though there was a lack of
security personnel in the area, says chief Michael Pundia.
“We have witnessed one of the best elections in the province, more peaceful
than other highlands provinces.
“People voted without any disturbance,” Pundia said.
Provincial police commander Superintendent John Sagom could not be reached for
comment yesterday.
There were also attempts made to get comments from provincial election manager
Philip Telape.
Pundia thanked the candidates for managing to control the situation.
“It’s a pleasure as landowner of Mt Hagen city to see that everything went
peacefully,” he said.
“I commend the candidates for ensuring that peace and order were maintained.
“Western Highlands has been facing issues before the polling, but we have
managed it.
“Some places may have minor hiccups like boycotts or complaints but that is
something to raise with the election offices.
“I’m happy and thankful that the people behaved well.”
Mother-of-two Maria Aki from Mt Hagen was happy to see polling progressing
peacefully.
She however said some people in rural areas were not able to vote because
candidates’ supporters had tried to mark their ballot papers.
“In Hagen rural, some people did not want to vote because their rights were
abused by candidates and supporters. Apart from that I would like to say that
polling for Mt Hagen city was peaceful,” she said.
Kapavore retains seat by 11,949 votes
By ROSELYN ELLISON
POMIO MP Elias
Kapavore polled 11,949 votes to retain the seat he first won in a by-election
in May 2015, becoming the first MP in East New Britain to be declared a winner
yesterday.
The People’s National Congress party member was declared the winner by
returning officer John Liskia at around 2.20pm.
The absolute majority was 11,678.
Congratulating Kapavore for retaining the seat he also won in 2017, Liskia said
for the first time, they had a good understanding with all the candidates who
worked together to make the exercise peaceful and calm.
Liskia thanked members of the joint task force for providing security and
ensuring that the election was conducted peacefully with no major incident
reported.
He said it was the decision of the people of Pomio to re-elect Kapavore to
Parliament. Kapavore thanked the people of Pomio for re-electing him, and
invited the eight candidates who contested the seat to join him in developing
the district.
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