Choose good leaders: OC

THE Ombudsman Commission (OC) says that services such as health are not trickling down to the rural areas because of bad decisions by those in influential positions.
Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen and Ombudsman Kevin Kepore said this in a statement on Monday and urged people to vote wisely.
“We read about a mother giving birth by the road side on her way to the nearest hospital which is miles away; an asthmatic patient dying outside a hospital and children not going to school because it had closed down due to lack of government funding,” Pagen said.
He said the country needed more leaders with good morals and ethics.
“The Ombudsman Commission statistics show more than 100 leaders from different sectors of the government have been investigated and referred to the public prosecutor for prosecution since independence,” he said.
“There is a need to elect good leaders during the upcoming national election.”
Pagen and Kepore urged the people to consider certain qualities and characters a candidate would need to make a good leader:

• FULFILLING his/her constitutional obligation without fear or favour;
• PUTTING the interest of others before his or hers; and,
• PROVIDING goods and services to the people they are mandated to serve.

Pagen and Kepore urged people to vote for candidates who had values such as, integrity, honesty, fairness, accountability, transparency, servitude, humility and ethics.

Smooth polling expected

POLLING in Central will begin on July 2 and ends on July 8 to allow ample time for polling officials to prepare for counting, Central election manager and provincial returning officer Peter Malaifeope says.
Malaifeope said the Electoral Commission’s announced date for counting was only a week and the remaining days of polling would be used for counting.
He said planning for polling were going smoothly but it needed an increase in the total number of polling teams to 200.
“The province has some big villages like Tubuseria, Porebada and Wanigela that would expect an increase in polling teams,” he said.
He said the polling and counting dates were short, therefore there was a need for a much bigger team to fast-track work.
Malaifeope, however, said polling and counting plans had been set.
“There will be two separate counting done at the five electorates, one for the regional seat and the other for open electorates,” he said.
He said counting areas were Kupiano for the Abau seat, Kwikila for the Rigo and for Hiri-Koiari, Goilala and Kairuku seats would be at Murray Barracks in Port Moresby.
He added that funding for polling was yet to be released by the Electoral Commission.
“We intend for the funding to be sent this month which would allow us to dispatch the teams to their locations as soon as possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Central had recorded a total of 204 candidates as of the close of nominations last week.

Security forces ready for polling: PM

PRIME Minister James Marape says the Government has so far allocated K274.4 million for security operations for the 2022 general election to ensure it is “fair and safe” for all citizens.
Marape made this known yesterday after a meeting with Police Commissioner David Manning, PNG Defence Force Commander Major-General Mark Goina and Correctional Service Commissioner Stephen Pokanis.
Also present at the meeting was inter-departmental election committee chairman and secretary for Prime Minister and National Executive Council Ivan Pomaleu.
“We have given more support to our disciplinary forces in 2022, unlike previous elections, such as in 2012 and 2017 elections,” he said.
“The Government, under Pangu Pati, delivered to this country its sovereignty and democracy in 1975 and continues to do so today.
“As the party that is now in charge of the executive government, supervising and resourcing the electoral process, we will be fully supporting Police, PNGDF and Correctional Services, as well as the Electoral Commission, to give our people the opportunity to cast their votes for the leaders of their choice.”
Marape said police had so far received K190 million, PNGDF K72.8 million and Correctional Services K11.6 million – total K274.4 million.
He said the heads of the three forces had advised him that they were ready for election operations.
Marape said the heads would meet Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai today to discuss security during polling, which was scheduled to start on July 4.
“As prime minister, I am satisfied that the security forces have been given good support by our Government,” he said.
“Likewise, we’ve given adequate support to the Electoral Commission, to ensure that they are ready for polling, counting, declarations and the return of writs.”
Marape commended the people for a peaceful nomination process and encouraged all Papua New Guineans to ensure the election was safe and to allow campaigning, voting, counting and declarations to be done freely, fairly and safely.