Papua New Guinea’s GE22 polling continues to be chaotic

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

Wheelchair-bound Idau Daure Sioa assisted by her daughter-in-law Aurakava Maki at one of two polling booths set up in Vabukori village for polling last Friday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

Papua New Guinea’s GE22 polling continues to be chaotic

PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s General Election 2022 (GE22) polling chaos continues to reign in Port Moresby and nationwide, denying thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Papua New Guineans from exercising their rights to vote on Friday (July 8, 2022) – because their names were not found on the printed Common Roll.

Election managers and elections returning officers (ROs) continue to deny voters’ electoral rights despite Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai’s directive to them to use the Electoral Commission (EC)’s online voter roll on its website to check names if they were not on the printed roll.

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

Common roll chaos continues

July 11, 2022The NationalMain Stories

GENERAL Election 2022 (GE22) polling chaos continues to reign in Port Moresby and nationwide, denying thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Papua New Guineans from exercising their right to vote on Friday – because their names were not found on the printed Common Roll.
Election managers and election returning officers (RO) continue to deny voters’ electoral rights despite Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai’s directive to them to use the online voter roll online page on the Election Commission (EC)’s website to check names if they were not on the printed roll.
Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday admitted that the printed roll “was not adequately prepared” for GE22 and apologised to those unable to cast their ballots because their names were “missing”.
Marape suggested that everyone whose names were missing in the printed roll but had voted in 2017 or before, should be allowed to vote in GE22.
On Thursday, Sinai admitted that the printed roll was unreliable and directed election officials to use the online voter roll to check names that were missing in print.
On Friday, 1,200 ballot papers where brought to the polling centre at the Kaugere basketball court.
However, at the end of the day, only 205 people were allowed to cast their ballots with 995 unused ballot papers left as the majority who turned up to vote found their names missing in the printed roll.
A frustrated woman resident who did not want to be named told The National that it was unfair to be left out of GE22 as she had voted in GE2017.
“My name and my family’s names were in the 2017 common roll and we voted at this polling station,” she said.
“Why is it that now our names cannot be found?
“These ballot papers were sent here for us to elect our leaders but now we can only stand and watch because of the unreliable printed common roll,” she added.
Moresby South Justin Tkatchenko was one of the people who did not have his name in the common roll when he went to cast his vote on Friday.
Tkatchenko said it was frustrating that the electoral system in the country was incompetent and had not improved from the last election.
He was later allowed to vote after his name was not found in the printed roll book.


Overhaul common roll, says angry voter

PORT Moresby-South frustrated voter Rachel Thomson says the Electoral Commission (EC) must immediately overhaul its general election printed Common Roll.
“The chaos in GE22 polling is worse than in GE2017,” she said.
“It should have improved, based on lessons learnt, but it did not. The polling problems must be fixed before the next GE.”
Thomson, who has been a Port Moreby-South resident for more than 30 years, said operations of the polling booths was chaotic with no one knowing what they were doing.
“I thought it was going to be better than 2017 so I got here early at 8.30am (on Friday) but the polling booths were not set up until after 10am,” she said.
“There were no tables for (election officials) to set up (polling booths), so they were looking for tables.”
After the booths were set up at 10am, scrutineers argued with election officials to allow people whose names were not in the printed common roll to vote.
That delayed the start of polling until after midday when Port Moresby South Elections Returning Officer Tau Koea arrived and spoke to the crowd which saw voters queuing to vote by 1pm.
Thomson was one of the earlier voters who got to cast their ballots first in at 1pm after confirming her name on the online voter roll search and a second common roll booklet.
“The confusion was that they have broken the town area into different booklets (common roll),” she said.
“When I went to check, my name was not on the roll so I had to waste time and stand in another line to check.
“Thankfully my name was there and I am happy I got to vote,
However, that was the case for other residents who missed out on exercising their right to cast their ballots as their names were not on the printed roll.


After 10 general elections, Sioa, 95, cannot find name in roll

Wheelchair-bound Idau Daure Sioa assisted by her daughter-in-law Aurakava Maki at one of two polling booths set up in Vabukori village for polling last Friday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

By LULU MAGINDE
IDAU Daure Sioa, 95, had been casting her vote in the 10 general elections since the country became independent in 1975, as her name had always appeared in the common roll.
Not this year though. When she arrived in a wheelchair at her Vabukori village polling venue in the National Capital District on Friday, she was told that her name was missing.
Officials turned her away.
Her daughter-in-law Aurakava Maki, who was pushing her wheelchair, said Sioa was frustrated because her name was missing for the first time, and disappointed because the election officials could not help her.
“In 2017, her name was in the common roll.
“But today, her name is not there.
“A lot of people lying here. She’s being denied her right,” Maki said.
Maki and her mother-in-law went to check at the other polling venue set up in the village.
But the officials turned her away too.
Polling for Moresby South’s Vabukori village began at 9am and was relatively quiet. Sioa was not the only one whose name was not on the roll.
There were others who were turned away.
“They should have been prepared better for this general election.
“If it was a young girl, it would have been fine.
“But she’s 95 years old now,” daughter-in-law Maki said.

ARO to face court

July 11, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By JIMMY KALEBE
A GENERAL Election 2022 (GE22) assistant returning officer (ARO) is scheduled to appear in court today to face charges of hijacking ballot boxes and ballot papers in Finschhafen.
Morobe Commander Jacob Singura said the GE22 materials were headed for Hube when the hijacking occurred between July 2 and 5.
“When the election-sensitive materials were transported between Lae, Gagidu and into Hube, there was no presence of security personnel,” Singura said.
“Our investigations revealed that 550 ballot papers for a certain ward went missing and was alleged to have been kept by a polling official (a nursing officer) in a health centre,” Singura said.
The ballot papers were retrieved, properly checked, confirmed and returned to the district headquarters in Finschhafen and stored safely.
Singura said the ARO was then called in by police for interrogation, formally arrested and charged with hijacking the ballot boxes and papers under Section 191 of the PNG Organic Law.
“If you are one of the government officers taking part in GE22, please do it right for the majority of the people. Do not do it in such a way the people’s rights to choose a leader of their choice are deprived,” he added.
He said the arrest of the ARO should be a deterrent to other GE22 Electoral Commission officials.
“I have received calls from people to delay the arrest of the ARO, but I still allowed for the arrest of the ARO as what he did may have been wrong. Let the court of justice prove if his doings are right or wrong”.
Singura said his investigators were on the ground in Finschhafen now and more arrests were likely to follow.
“I am appealing to people in Finschhafen to keep calm, work closely with election officials, security personnel on the ground and allow for polling and counting to proceed smoothly,” he added.
Polling in Finschhafen starts today.
A total of 27 candidates are contesting the seat.


Cardinal Sir John says GE22 ill-prepared

THE Archbishop of Port Moresby, Cardinal Sir John Ribat believes the country should learn from the failures of this ill-prepared General Elections 2022 (GE22) for future GEs.
“Without knowing the real number of the population and having no confirmation from a census, how we plan effectively for the whole country is something the Electoral Commission (EC) and Government should have understood,” he said.
“They were saying to use the 2017 common roll which was even worse because how do they know how many people have since become eligible to vote; that number could be close to a million or something.”
He said that the EC had ample time to prepare well and did not see the logic behind them training polling and counting officials on the eve of polling.
“This has really shown that this GE22 was ill-prepared for the whole nation and will be a learning process but I’m not sure if we are learning because in the last GE17, it was said that it was a failed or bad election but now it’s really worse,” he said.
After GE22, he believed and agreed with Transparency International chairman Peter Aitsi in recommending that there be an evaluation done to create a plan on how to do better in future elections.
He further asked what the function of the National Planning and Monitoring Department was in relation to planning the national census.
“The population has since tripled from the last census in 2017, so it does not bode well nor does it look good, as we are all assuming and basing the common roll on such an outdated census,” he said.
Secretary General of the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches, Reverend Roger Joseph claimed that the government was also to blame because just before the eve of the elections, there were re-shuffles within the cabinet.
“Many people were also quick to shift the blame on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic but I think there were other ways.”


Transportation issues hinder Tewae-Siassi polling

Loading materials … Security personnel, scrutineers and election officials loading General Election 2022 (GE2022) sensitive materials in a container at Correctional Services premises in Gagidu, Finschhafen on Saturday. The delay of polling in the district followed allegations of hijacking of some GE2022 materials. Polling is set to start in the electorate tomorrow. – Picture supplied

A DISTRICT in Morobe is expected to finish late in polling due to inconvenience in transportation of officials to polling areas.
Siassi local level government (LLG) in Tewae-Siassi district had not started polling in 10 areas because officials were stranded at the district headquarters due to shortages of fuel for boats.
District returning officer (RO) Lancelot Kamake said boats had no fuel to transport polling teams to the islands.
“We could continue the polling on the weekend but it would be against the rules so polling has been differed to Monday.
“It looks like the district will complete polling on Wednesday or Thursday and move to counting on Friday at the district headquarters in Sialum LLG,” said Kamake.
He said polling for the other two LLGs were on time, Wasu LLG should complete 12 polling areas on Monday and Sialum LLG should complete 20 polling areas by Tuesday.
Kamake however said polling for Tewae-Siassi was generally fine compared to other districts.
“About the issues of common roll updates, we explained to the people about the limited number of ballot papers and they listened to us.
“If the mainland is fine, then Siassi LLG will be,” said Kamake.
Meanwhile, despite hiccups caused by issue relating to the common roll, the new Wau-Waria electorate was continuing with its polling.
District returning officer (RO) Fidelis Harissol said Wau urban should complete polling today.
The eight and nine polling teams for Waria LLG that were stranded at Garaina station were sent to polling areas on Friday by chopper.
Harissol said the officials were sent without police personnel.
“The police personnel are still at Wau to be airlifted,” said the RO.





Fake news dangerous: Manning

July 11, 2022The NationalMain Stories

POLICE Commissioner David Manning says he is concerned with fake news over social media, describing it as dangerous for Papua New Guinea.
Manning made the comment on Thursday when disputing a recent post on social media that alleged that he had threatened policemen and ordered the release of K1.56 million confiscated in Hela.
Manning said: “That is totally false. The cash in question is still in police custody.
“Five individuals arrested over this incident are currently in police custody.
“Police investigation into this matter is still progressing.
“As I have previously stated, the public will be informed once the investigation is completed.
“It is totally disgusting that individuals with ulterior motives can go to such lengths to discredit the work of police and security forces currently involved in General Election 2022 (GE22).
“If anything, police and members of the security forces should be congratulated and commended for being vigilant and diligent in the discharge of their constitutional duties.
“Members of the security forces around the country have so far confiscated large amounts of cash, illegal firearms, illegal ammunition, as well as police and military uniforms.”
“For and in the interest of administering the rule of law, I, nor any other member of the constabulary will derail or abort any police investigation currently underway.
These will continue and arrive at their natural conclusion and from then recommendations will be made as to what course of action to be taken.
“Rest assured that all this will be done transparently with the release of timely information to the public through the media.
“I am now appealing to everyone to refrain from posting unconfirmed and unsubstantiated reports over social media.


No charges laid on MP

NO criminal charges have been laid against National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, according to NCD Metropolitan Supt Gideon Ikumu.
Ikumu made the clarification after Parkop was detained at the Boroko Police Station for about four hours on Thursday night for being in possession of K25,000 in cash. Ikumu said investigations were ongoing and if substance were found he might be brought in for questioning again.
“Investigation is the only way to establish the truth so we can justify it, our actions must be clear, transparent and accountable, that’s the direction to all policemen,” he said.


Electoral crimes will not be tolerated: EC

Helping hand … Aspasia Sawaraba providing free water and other cold drinks to polling officials at Ensisi Valley polling venue in Port Moresby, National Capital District (NCD). Sawaraba has been living in Ensisi for almost 10 years. She said she has been seeing and hearing a lot of negative commentaries about the Electoral Commission (EC) and its officials and feels like Papua New Guineans must not only look at the negatives but the positives as well. She said she felt she needed to do something when seeing the polling officials set up in what happened to be a hot day and decided to give them cold drinks. – Nationalpic by DALE LUMA.

By LULU MAGINDE
THOSE who commit electoral offences will face the full extent of the law as any electoral crime will not be tolerated, says Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.
Examples of punishable electoral offences provided by Sinai were double voting or a voter being caught using someone else’s name on the common roll to vote to name a few, but he emphasised that a written complaint would have to be made.
“We have election laws and offences and so the Electoral Commission (EC) is ready to do its part and work with the police and other law enforcement authorities to provide information that prosecutes and sanctions those who commit or breach these laws,” he said.
“The elections have been delivered by people in your communities – teachers, social workers, mothers and fathers – who are committed to bringing you the elections in the urban, rural, highlands and coastal areas so respect these people and the process,” he added. Referring to instances or allegations of violence, particularly in the Highlands as a high-risk area, Sinai added that when there was violence, everyone should be concerned.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Growing unemployment rate in Papua New Guinea

Sugu Valley tribal war death toll rises to at least 30

Sorcery shame for Papua New Guinea in X’mas