Drunks force poll officials to leave island

Momase

Polling on Bagbag Island in Sumkar electorate will be conducted after all other areas of the electorate have been covered.
The delay was caused by a polling team being forced to leave the island on Tuesday because of drunks being a nuisance.
Madang election manager Peter Yasaro said the polling team had arrived at Badilu village at Bagbag Island ready for polling to start only to be forced to leave because of the behaviour of people who were drunk.
Yasaro said the polling officer called the assistant returning officer and they agreed that the team should leave the island immediately.
“Because of this polling for Bagabg Island will be conducted last,” Yasaro said.
On Karkar Island, candidates have complained about the change of polling schedules at two venues.
Yasaro said the team that was to have conducted polling at Wakon village went instead to Liloi where they were not being expected.
“Many people knew the schedule and thought polling would be conducted there a day after and many went about doing other things,” he said.
Yasaro said many people did not vote, but they can cast their votes in Wakon today.
Meanwhile, heavy rain affected polling in Madang on Monday and Tuesday.
Polling officials in the Transgogol and Ambenob llgs said they started about noon after the rain had stopped but some voters did not vote.
Yasaro said that registered voters who did not vote there could still vote somehwere else in the ward.