POLLING in the Kundiawa/Gembogl and Gumine electorate in Simbu province starts today and the results seem highly likely to head for the Court of Disputed Returns.
This is because of a mix-up in the photographs of the candidates printed by the Electoral Commission on the candidates’ posters.
“Candidates no doubt would dispute the results because of the mix-up but we are going ahead with the polling,” election manager John Ellee said yesterday.
Mr Ellee said photographs of Kundiawa/Gembogl candidate Joe Kuatowa and Gumine candidate Joe Kua were swapped and printed on the wrong poster and this had angered the affected candidates.
He said the mistake was noticed a week ago and the Electoral Commission was advised.
Mr Ellee said the Electoral Commission ordered a reprint with the corrections but only 200 copies were made for each electorate.
“That was not enough to go around so we are still using the old ones. The names are still there so we would tell the people as they go in to vote,” Mr Ellee said.
Polling in the Kundiawa/Gembogl and Gumine electorate did not start yesterday as planned.
Apart from the photo mix-up, Mr Ellee said the delay was also attributed to the non-arrival of security forces personnel assigned for polling duties in these electorate from the Western Highlands province.
 

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