Counting goes day and night

By ZACHERY PER
COUNTING officials in Eastern Highlands Province have been put on day and night shifts to speed up the process to meet the July 27 deadline.
Eastern Highlands provincial election manager Alywn Jimmy authorized that officials count during the day and night as they have less than nine days before the return of writs.
He tasked supervisors of each electorate to at least complete 20 boxes per day.
“There will not be any presiding officers to make declarations of boxes because these were done on Tuesday already,” he said.
Jimmy said there will not be any more delays because of complaints and unnecessary boycotting of counting.
He also took on board instructions from the education authorities to remove teachers from counting centers yesterday.
Some teachers who defied instructions were physically manhandled out of the venue by security forces.
Jimmy confirmed disgruntled polling officials who held on the polling returns will be paid.
“Counting officials will be paid accordingly as expected because money is available for that,” he said.
It is anticipated that counting will wind down by the weekend.