Candidate commends election manager

 A CANDIDATE  in Hela has commended provincial election manager John Tipa and his staff for allocating a ballot box for each council ward.

South Koroba LLG presidency candidate Mark Bibila told The National from Koroba yesterday that a peaceful election in the region was expected as a result of the decision.

He said allocating a ballot box each for every council ward was one reason that would allow peaceful election as security and close scrutiny would be provided by each candidate’s supporters and the electoral officials. 

Bibila also called on the Electoral Commission to allow the LLG elections to be conducted within one day like the national elections.

“To avoid election-related violence, double voting and other illegal conducts, it was proper for the elections to be conducted within one day,” he said. 

“If that is not done then we are likely to experience some election related problems.”

Bibila also suggested that local level government officers appointed as returning officers be swapped around so that they were not stationed at their own ward in order to avoid nepotism and undue influence.