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By FRANK RAI
POLLING in some remote parts of the Menyamya electorate will be
cancelled because they are running behind schedule.
Morobe provincial election manager Simon Sinai said polling in the Kapau
area of Aseke local level government area would be cancelled due to the
continuous bad weather in the area, which had denied the chartered
Islands Nationair helicopter from delivering the ballot papers despite
several attempts.
“The helicopter made several attempts to transport the ballot papers
into the area but it could not land due to the bad weather,” Mr Sinai
said.
He said people in the Kapau area were still waiting for the helicopter
even when there were possibilities to carry the ballot boxes to the
designated polling places by foot.
He said villagers in the remote areas of Finschhafen, Kambum and
Tawae-Siassi had to carry their ballot boxes and walk for up to three
days for the local people to exercise their democratic right.
“The weather is bad and the people of Kapau are waiting for the
helicopter to transport the ballot papers when other remote
areas in the province are carrying their ballot boxes into their
villages,” Mr Sinai said.
He added that if nothing was done in the coming days, polling would be
cancelled because the Kapau area was trailing behind schedule.
Mr Sinai is concerned that the people of Kapau were not taking ownership
of this important occasion and transporting the ballot papers to the
respective polling stations by other means.
Islands Nationair operations supervisor Simon Vinalu confirmed the bad
weather situation.
He added that weather in the remote areas were unpredictable.
He said it was risky for the helicopter to penetrate the thick clouds
covering the areas.
“We (Islands Nationair) are struggling in and out over the tree tops,
crawling through the gullies and sliding beneath the mountains and it is
very risky.
“We have made several attempts and yet the thick clouds are not
promising – in one minute there is sun and within the next minute there
is cloud,” Mr Vinalu said.
He also confirmed that the Garina polling team in the Bulolo area was
transported on Monday and would be picked up today.
He said the helicopter also made two attempts yesterday to pick up the
ballot boxes from Aravic and Matak villages in the Wantuat LLG of
Markham electorate.
Huon electorate will start counting tomorrow.
 
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