Crackdown

POLICE are taking a tough stance against some National Capital District polling officials because they took leftover ballot papers home after polling on Friday.
One of them was locked up yesterday when he turned up from the Port Moresby North-East electorate with the extra papers. Police found K2640 on him.
In Ialibu-Pangia, Southern Highlands, about 4000 turned out yesterday to see Prime Minister Peter O’Neill cast his vote after polling was postponed on Friday because one local level government area was left out from the electoral list and there was a shortage of ballot papers.
The election calm and peace that prevailed during the campaign period was finally gone, with voters showing their frustration over their names missing from the Common Roll.
A lot of people could not vote for that reason and officials finally reached for the old roll to compromise.
In Kopiago, six ballot boxes with papers were burnt as some of the rowdy scenes of past general elections began to grip the country.
However, the weekend was largely quieter than the start of past elections.
Jiwaka goes into polling today, and Enga and Western Highlands tomorrow, according Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato.
This is after various petitions and complaints in the three provinces.
Gamato said polling had progressed well in Hela and counting was scheduled to have started yesterday.
He said six boxes containing ballots were burned in Kopiago “due to some local politics”.
National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Benjamin Turi  told The National yesterday that polling officials allegedly brought in extra ballot papers from polling areas late into the counting venue and caused a commotion.
“A lot of polling officials from Port Moresby North-East decided to take the leftover ballot papers home and bring them back on Sunday (yesterday), so now we are making strict checks,” Turi said.
“One of the polling officers from the North-East electorate was apprehended for bringing in extra ballot one papers yesterday.
“Police searched him and found K2640 in his possession.
“He was locked up. We caught one for Ward Five in North-East, team one in Eriam Bridge, one was yesterday at the 4-Mile compound, one from Moresby South, one from Moitaka Ridge at 9-Mile .
“Most of these officers are or will be questioned.”
He said supporters were becoming very rowdy when seeing extra ballot papers.
Meanwhile, about 4000 turned out at O’Neill’s Kauwo village for devotion before polling.
“I know it’s not been easy in the last two days (delayed polling in Pangia),” ONeill said.
“Patience shown by our people is commendable.”
A short supply of ballot papers at Ialibu-Pangia and other parts of Southern Highlands was not intentional but an oversight on the part of the Electoral Commission, Gamato said.
He said additional papers were sent there yesterday.
Kuara LLG, one of the five LLGs in the prime minister’s electorate that includes East Pangia Rural, Ialibu Urban, Kewali Rural and South Wiru Rural, was left out from the commission’s listing of polling locations.