By ROMULUS MASIU
THE ballot boxes for the South Bougainville seat recount were transported from Buin to Buka under heavy police escort last Monday.
The four ballot boxes included the ballot papers of the official winner of South Bougainville seat Michael Laimo, his runner-up Steven Kama Pirika, the informal ballot papers and the votes for other candidates in last year’s national elections.
The four ballot boxes were brought in after the National Court in Buka last week nullified the election of incumbent Michael Laimo as MP for South Bougainville and ordered a recount.
National Court judge Justice Ambeng Kandakasi ordered that a recount be made within 30 days as of last Thursday.
Executive manager for Buin John Itanu and officer Moses Koiri came to Buka with the boxes under heavy escort by the Buin-based police personnel.
Mr Koiri told The National that they brought the ballot boxes to Buka upon instructions from the electoral office in Buka.
However, the Electoral Commission is yet to set a date for the recount of the ballot papers and commissioner Andrew Trawen said they had not received any official court ruling as yet, adding they were not in a position to announce a date for the recount.
Mr Trawen, through his officers, said when they received the court papers the date and time would be announced and officers would be sent to Buka to conduct the recount.
The Steven Kama Pirika petition is the first case in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to reach the trial stage.
Past election petitions lodged by former North Bougainville MP James Togel in 1997 and current North Bougainville minister for higher education Michael Ogio in 2002 were struck out due to lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, supporters of both Mr Laimo and Mr Pirika camps are flocking to Buka town, eagerly waiting for the date of the recount of the South Bougainville open seat.