Ballot boxes for Kandep expected to be opened tomorrow

ACTING Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says ballot boxes for the Kandep Open seat, which the court ordered to be recounted, are expected to be opened tomorrow.
He said they planned to open the boxes on Tuesday but witnesses had not turned up at the recount site in Kundiawa.
“The containers have been brought (from Wabag) and lawyers are (arriving) tomorrow (today),” Sinai said.
“We might open the boxes on Friday and continue (the recount) into the weekend.” Former Kandep MP Don Polye, who challenged the current MP Alfred Manase’s victory in the 2017 national general election, said “the absence of a lawyer representing the Electoral Commission at the recount venue is confusing and questionable”.
Polye told The National that the Electoral Commission’s lawyer Steven Ranewa had not arrived in Kundiawa.
He said the lawyer representing Manase was not at the recount venue as well.
“Their absence is very common and very questionable,” the former Kandep MP said.
“Today (yesterday) the counting was supposed to start.”
But Sinai said the Electoral Commission’s lawyer should be in Kundiawa today.
The Supreme Court on Dec 21 and Jan 15 had ordered the recount to be conducted and completed by Feb 26.
The court ordered the results of the recount to be brought to court on March 1.