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Polling team behind bars
By PETER PIA and PETER KORUGL
AN entire polling team is behind bars at the Wabag police station, two
people were reported injured, and another polling team was hijacked, as
polling in most parts of Enga province was delayed for a day.he team
detained was one of many that were deployed in the Wabag Open electorate
and it was designated to conduct polling in the Ainumanda area.
According to security forces personnel, the team was deployed to conduct
polling in the area but instead took off to Wakumale Secondary School,
where they started to mark the ballot papers in favour of a candidate
they supported. They were surrounded by heavily armed men, who were
believed to be supporters of the candidate.
“When voters in the area, who are supporters of another candidate saw
what was going on, they reported it to us,” a PNG Defence Force soldier,
who was part of the security forces team that went into the area and
arrested the polling team, said.
According to the security personnel, voters from Ainumanda were attacked
by these armed men, when they went to Wakumale to try to retrieve the
ballot boxes and the papers.
“The supporters of that candidate were armed with guns, axes and bush
knives. They attacked us and one man received knife wound to his head
and another to his arm,” one eye witness, who was with the security
force members, said.
The security force contingent said when they went into the area, the
armed men fled into the bushes, leaving the polling team behind. The
team was arrested and brought to Wabag police station where they are
being questioned by police.
Election manager in Enga Henry Kyakas said: “One of the polling official
could have been paid (bribed),” when asked to explain how this incident
could have happened. Mr Kyakas did not elaborate.
“Police were investigating. We will know the full story after the
investigations are completed,” he said.
In the other incident, a polling team heading for a polling area in
Ambum in the Kompiam/Ambum electorate was hijacked, allegedly by a
candidate and his supporters and taken to the candidate’s village.
Mr Kyakas said the supporters of the candidate were marking the ballot
papers themselves, when security force members moved in and retrieved
the ballot boxes and papers.
Those illegally marking the ballot papers fled. About 60 ballot papers
were illegally marked, which would be destroyed.
Where voting did take place, minor skirmishes were reported, especially
in Wabag town as supporters of different candidates tried to double
vote.
Polling in Wabag district started at about 3pm in only as few polling
areas. The rest of the district will poll today.
Polling in Wapenamanda started late after polling officials protested
over non-payment of allowances for the 2002 general elections.
When it started, only parts of the district like the Minamb Valley and
Wapemananda station were completed.
Polling in Tsak Valley, Lower Lai and other areas will be conducted
today.
Mr Kyakas said ballot papers and boxes were moved to all the districts
yesterday in areas that were accessible by road.
Destinations that required air transport were being attended to and
would continue today. He is optimistic that polling in Enga would be
completed by 6pm today.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen has extended polling in Enga for
another day. He has also ordered that all counting votes for all the
electorates in the province be done in Wabag for security reasons.
 
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