Chairman tells candidates: No more interference in counting

The National National

THE Gulf election steering committee does not want candidates to interfere with counting in Kerema, says chairman Emmanuel Xavier.
He addressed candidates contesting the provincial, Kerema and Kikori Open seats in Kerema on Wednesday.
“The counting will proceed without any further delay.
“Candidates have the court of disputed returns to redress should they wish to dispute,” he said.
The 32 candidates had submitted a list of resolutions to the committee to consider.
It included:

  • COUNTING be not done at the multi-purpose sports field;
  • THE number of ballot papers (both used and unused) be confirmed by officials before counting started;
  • VOTERS, the Gulf data management and scrutineers be watched closely by security personnel; and,
  • THE Kikori open electorate to start counting without any interference.

Xavier said counting had to be done in the new facility inside the multi-sports field due to lack of spacious rooms at the provincial and administration buildings.
He explained to the candidates that there were 76 polling teams and 156 ballot boxes sent out, and all information had been recorded by scrutineers present at the time of polling in each polling local level government.
“For the data voting population, we will only know the exact number of the voting population after a proper national census is conducted which the country has not done since 2011,” Xavier said.