Counting must go ahead: Official

By REBECCA KUKU
PROVINCIAL election manager in Hela, John Tipa, has stressed that the counting of votes is an important part of the election process which must be seen through to the end.
He was responding to a petition by 15 candidates addressed to the Electoral Commission (EC), demanding that a senior EC officer and a lawyer from Port Moresby be flown over to oversee the counting process in Hela.
The candidates, led by former Hela governor Francis Potape, also petitioned the provincial election office to set aside all disputed boxes and to check and balance the returns.
But Tipa told them that the counting of votes would proceed.
“Even I do not have the powers to stop counting,” he said.
He advised the candidates that if they had any grievances, they should take them up to the court.
“Counting will proceed today (yesterday),” he said.
Tipa said for ballot boxes to be declared as disputed, the recommendation must come from the presiding EC officers, security teams, scrutineers and the people.
“If there is enough evidence, (we will make a decision).
“Otherwise, we will proceed with the counting,” Tipa said.
On the returns, he said “we will do checks and balance with you and your supporters”.
Tipa said he would pass on the petition to Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.
“But we will not wait.
“We will go ahead with the counting,” he said.

Counting for SHP in one location, says official

COUNTING of votes in Southern Highland will be held at Momei Oval in Mendi only for security reasons, says Election Manager Alvin Jimmy.
The original plan was to also conduct counting at the Imbonggu district office at Walume for the Kagua-Erave, Ialibu-Pangia and Imbonggu districts, and at Momei Oval in Mendi for Nipa-Kutubu, Mendi-Munihu and the regional seats.
“But Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai, after considering security and logistic issues, decided to have only one counting venue – Momei Oval,” he said.
Work is underway at the Momei Oval to build a venue for the counting.
Materials have already arrived for the polling on Monday in the province.
He said the materials would be distributed to the returning officers to take to their districts.
“The returning and assistant returning officers already had their training and the returning officers have been tasked to train the presiding and assistant presiding officers,” he said.
“For the counting, they were trained also as there has been some changes such as counting LLG (local level government) by LLG.
“This will be faster.
“After seven to eight days, we will make declarations.”
Jimmy said members of the security forces were travelling from one province to another to monitor the polling.

Soldiers in Tari to boost counting security

EXTRA soldiers have been sent to Tari to bolster security before the counting of votes begins today.
Defence Force Liaison Officer Major Joshua Dorpar said additional manpower was brought in from Enga to support the police in Hela.
He said the security forces were taking any threats to security seriously.
“One platoon and a taskforce team from Enga have come down to bolster manpower,” he said.
Major Dorpar is acting commander of the joint security forces.