Candidates want Electoral Commission to address issues

By ABIGAIL APINA
CANDIDATES in West New Britain are demanding for the Electoral Commission’s legal officer, who is in the province, to address their issues.They claim certain candidates in the province had been involved in bribery before and during polling.But the legal officer has been refusing to speak with candidates since her arrival in the province as she was not obliged to speak with them, provincial police commander Samson Siguyaru said.
It is understood she will only address them either through their legal representatives or their scrutineers.
Siguyaru confirmed counting in the province resumed on Monday after it was suspended over the weekend despite a petition presented to Electoral Commission on Friday demanding for an officer at the headquarters to address their issues.He said quality checks for all seats had been completed yesterday and all was ready to go into the elimination rounds.He confirmed receiving a letter of complaint from the candidates regarding claims of bribery by certain candidates.He said he would ask for an independent investigation team from the regional police headquarters in Kokopo to investigate the claims.
He said despite the tense situation in the province, law and order has been well maintained.
Meanwhile, a woman in the province was murdered on Saturday by a youth suspected to have raped her.
Her body was recovered on Saturday night and was taken to Kimbe hospital.