Briefs

Election manager denies claim
MADANG election manager Sponsa Navi says he will not take any legal action against the sitting Governor Peter Yama for defaming him. Navi said this while denying a claim by Yama in the media that he had met with police and a certain candidate at a hotel in Madang last Sunday. Yama petitioned the Electoral Commission this week claiming that the suspicious meeting had compromised the counting for the regional seat. “I was at the restaurant between 7.30-8.00pm with my wife and her two brothers to order dinner,” he said.

Missing votes found
CENTRAL returning officer (RO) Peter Malaifeope said that no ballot papers had gone missing from the counting centre at Murray Barracks on Tuesday as speculated. Malaifeope said that the incident of the 35 missing ballot papers after the first candidate was excluded were misplaced somewhere in the container. He said the ballot papers were relocated later in the afternoon.

Delta Fly praised
DELTA Fly returning officer (RO) Dilas Muli has commended officials, voters and the security personnel for ensuring a peaceful General Election and would return the writ today after candidate Agena Gamai polled 4,458 votes surpassing the absolute majority of 4,300. The PNG Party member Gamai finished on top of a pool of 42 candidates.

Morobe teachers warned
NEGATIVE experiences of the General Election (GE22) on school facilities and teachers in Morobe means schools and teachers will not be allowed to be part of the next election in 2027, an official says. Morobe education adviser Keith Tangui said the PNG Teachers’ association was not happy with the way GE22 had been conducted which had involved many teachers. He said teachers were expected back in the classroom this week and any one absent would be facing sanctions including being put off the payroll.

Student safety concern
MORE than 100 Catholic schools in Madang had resumed classes for the third term, according to an official. Catholic education secretary Bruno Tulemanil said that they were still concerned with the students’ safety since most of the students travelled on public transport to school and back.

West Sepik poll winding down
WEST Sepik is winding down the General Election 2022 (GE22), provincial election manager Salote Kai says. Kai said the team were left with a final declaration to be made which was for the provincial seat. “We’ve had a slow start but we have been working both day and night to complete the counting process as scheduled before the final date for the return of writs on Friday.”

Mt Hagen show still on
THE Mt Hagen Cultural Show will go ahead as planned on Aug 20-21, Mt Hagen show committee chairman John Bonny says. “The cultural show will be held at the Kagamuga show ground,” he said. Bonny said that despite the many disturbances from the General Election 2022, they will go ahead to allow the show to proceed as scheduled. “We are expecting more international tourist to come on board this year because we will be offering the best,” he said.