By-election ballot boxes from two polling venue disputed

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
BALLOT boxes from the polling venues at the Waigani Police station and Boreboa Primary School for the Moresby Northwest by-election were disputed by scrutineers, says Returning Officer Desmond Timiyaso.
“However after assessment, I allowed only the ballot box from the school to be counted,” he said.
He said the scrutineers claimed that they were suspicious about Box 69.
“The box on arrival at the counting venue for Ward 10 at the Pacific Institute of Leadership And Governance had missing seal tags.”
Timiyaso said the 42 candidates’ scrutineers complained that they were absent when the polling was completed.
“They said that they were not there last Friday at the police station when polling was completed,” he said.
“They said that they waited from 12pm to 1pm but the seal tags were not available.
“So they left thinking that because it was at the police station, the ballot box will be safe.”
But the presiding officers rejected the scrutineers’ claim saying everyone was there when polling ended.
“So to avoid further confusion, we put aside Box 69 and wait for discussions with the candidates to see if we can count it,” he said.
“But for the box from Boreboa School, we were able to come up with an understanding with all parties and allowed that box to be counted.”
Timiyaso said 39 boxes were allocated to Ward 10 covering North Waigani and parts of Morata.
Meanwhile, Timiyaso said the elimination process for the counting would start today.
It was supposed to be done yesterday but there was a delay in the setting up of counting at the Sir John Guise Stadium.