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By ANDREW ALPHONSE
TENSION is mounting in Mendi
town as more than1,000 Southern Highlands polling officials complained
over the non-payment of polling and counting allowances by the PNG
Electoral Commission.
A week after the completion of counting at Momei oval, the officials
engaged in counting duties are still waiting for their allowances.
Security forces were placed on high alert as disgruntled officials
confronted the Mendi provincial police station yesterday morning to seek
police intervention on the matter.
Acting provincial police commander supt Theodore Muriki intervened to
bring the situation under control and took selected representatives from
the group for a meeting.
The officials were told earlier that they would be paid their allowances
en masse on Monday but that date had lapsed.
Teachers, public servants and others from the eight districts abandoned
their duties and families to wait for their allowances in Mendi.
They have been there since counting began on July 10.
They said what annoyed them was that both the election manager and his
accountant were not in Mendi to address their grievances but had gone
into hiding in Mt Hagen or Port Moresby.
The group warned of trouble in Mendi town if they were not paid quickly.
Supt Muriki told the group that he would not tolerate any trouble that
might pop up because of the allowance issue.
However he blasted the EC for delaying the payments adding that he would
hold them responsible should any trouble brew up.
Elections manager David Wakias could not be contacted for comments but
sources said he was still waiting for the cash fund certificate from the
commission headquarters in Port Moresby.
 
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