All goes well in Madang despite delay

 By JAYNE SAFIHAO

Polling in four of the six districts in Madang is progressing well despite a late start.

Returning officer Philip Enn said yesterday that Sumkar, which comprises the Sumgilbar and Karkar LLGs, had already made 18 ward council declarations, with 15 yet to go for Karkar.

 Sumgilbar has declared 14 of the 31 ward council seats.

Enn could not give an update of polling in Bogia district due to communication difficulties with polling officials.

For Middle Ramu district, polling was on schedule despite an incident which marred polling in Nondabu, in the Arabaka LLG. 

Enn said voters had attacked polling officials and damaged a ballot box. Voting was suspended as a result.

A similar incident took place at the Astrolabe Bay LLG in Rai Coast district, where a candidate and his supporters in the ward 14 area hit a village recorder and damaged the seal of a ballot box. 

Enn said police would be flown into the area to have the attackers arrested.

For the Usino-Bundi and Gama LLGs, polling was progressing well despite concerns that many eligible voters were not given sufficient time to cast their votes. 

Usino LLG, the biggest LLG in the district with 34 wards, has so far managed to declare only seven ward councillors.

Meanwhile, counting for the 10 wards in the Madang urban LLG and the town mayor’s seat is still in progress.

Steven Sul Mond retained his seat as ward 1 councillor, while ward two declared a new councillor – a woman – on Monday.