Delay in allowances explained

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By EHEYUC SESERU
THE Morobe election office is expecting returning officers and their assistants to submit acquittals for previous funding in order for allowances to be processed.
Provincial election manager Simon Soheke said local level government enrolment coordinators, assistant returning officers and returning officers in districts must submit reports and acquittals for the previous funding so allowances for electoral roll ward enrolment agents, polling and counting officials would be processed.
“There are administrative issues that we need to fix first,” he said.
“The money is going to respective LLG managers or coordinators.
“We have a system in treasury where to get funds in advance, you must acquit.
“These things are causing delays.
“When the money came in, we put our claims and it’s with treasury now.
“The officers must provide acquittals for previous funds they used for roll update and polling.
“They have to provide acquittals to clear their names in order to get the next lot of money.”
Soheke was responding to queries by Lae district enrolment agents, polling and counting officials on the delay in payment of their allowances.
He said they had done their part in raising cheques for payment.
“It’s up to treasury to follow its guidelines on use of money and returning officers need to cooperate because all enrolment agents were paid,” he said.
He said they would need to verify all polling officials’ names and account details.
“We want to pay to their individual accounts,” he said.


Naguri says country needs electoral reform

By GLORIA BAUAI
BOGIA member re-elect Robert Naguri says all members of Pangu and government coalition partners will make it priority to see that the electoral system and process is reformed.
“We can blame the Electoral Commission but as the government, we must also take responsibility that we did not prepare in advance for this election,” he said.
He said one factor that contributed to the poor electoral preparation was the challenging economic period over the last two years.
Naguri was the first Madang MP to be declared last Thursday.
On Friday, he flew to Walium station on a helicopter to witness the declaration of Pangu candidate Jimmy Uguro, who signed writs as MP re-elect for Usino-Bundi.
In their brief declaration speeches, both MPs said to prioritise law and order with continued support to the police division in the district.
Both thanked their people for their confidence in them and vowed to carry from where they left off in the last Parliament.
Uguro called for a united Usino-Bundi to bring change. Naguri said he would work to complete the district’s level four rural hospital.


Police say search for missing teen continues

By ROSELYN ELLISON
POLICE in East New Britain are still searching for a 15-year-old male who went missing in Rabaul during the General Election 2022 (GE22), a senior police officer says.
Provincial police commander Chief Insp Januarius Vosivai said the teenager went missing during the counting period.
Vosivai said the teen was believed to have gone missing at Namanula in Rabaul after a fight broke out between the Nordup and Matalau villages in the Kombiu local level government.
“The matter was reported to the police and a search party was sent out to the area but to date the youth is still missing,” he said.
Vosivai said the missing youth was from Nordup village and urged both communities to cooperate with police to locate him.
“I am also appealing to the Matalau community to cooperate with the police and come forward and give information,” he said.
Vosivai said the fights between the two wards both in the original and Gelegele resettlement were part of an ongoing conflict.
He urged leaders from both sides to work together to resolve differences.
Meanwhile, Vosivai made a final appeal to the two main suspects wanted for the burning of buildings at Kabagab Primary School and the instigators of the fights between the three wards of Ravat, Teganalom and Ngatur in the Raluana LLG in Kokopo to voluntarily surrender to police.


Nipa-Kutubu gets new MP

Policing continues … Commander of NCD/Central Asst Comm Anthony Wagambie Jnr says security in the counting centres for the three NCD seats in Port Moresby would continue as they head into eliminations. He said aside from parliament sitting on Tuesday, police will carry out normal operations throughout the city. He said police units had been assigned to specific tasks to avoid them from affecting their routine police operations. Pictured are police personnel at a checkspoint along Magani Crescent road leading to Parliament on Tuesday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

By PETER WARI
NIPA-Kutubu returning officer (RO) Felix Kindup declared Dr Billy Joseph Mathew as the new MP for the electorate on Monday night at around 8pm at Momei Oval in Mendi, Southern Highlands.
Mathew, from the Social Democratic Party, polled 43,364 votes, reaching the absolute majority of 42,704 plus one while runner-up Fiebik Simon Kilip polled 42,161 votes.
After the declaration, he said what the people needed was not money but leadership.
“They needed a leader who will be fair and be with them,” he said.
“Developments in the district remained stagnant because of poor leadership and this was a rebirth.”
Matthew said he would make sure experienced people were in the district development authority (DDA) to move the district forward.
“Candidates like Feibik Kilip, Luke Simon Akop, George Angu, Robin Pip, David Kelei and others have leadership qualities and have the heart to serve the people and I will work together with them,” he said.
Mathew said the visions they had and contested the seat would be executed through a combined effort in serving the people.