EC responds to petition

By EHEYUC SESERU
THE Electoral Commission has promised to pay the allowances due to temporary election workers in Morobe into their bank accounts by today.
Election manager Simon Soheke said the provincial election steering committee met yesterday to discuss the petition from returning officers (RO) and their assistants regarding the allowances and funds they needed to carry out their work in the 10 districts and 33 local level governments.
Soheke said Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai responded to the petition on Tuesday.
“(He) responded but we will convey it formally to the ROs today,” he said.
“The allowances for temporary election workers will be paid. A team from the province will travel to Port Moresby on Monday to sort out other issues.”
The payments are for the first two phases of GE22: the electoral roll updates and nominations.
Seven ROs and 27 AROs signed a petition highlighting issues about funding, allowances, the AROs’ gazettal appointments and the electoral roll on Tuesday.
“We’re yet to conduct training for ROs and AROs on polling and counting,” he said.
“We need to have a briefing with candidates and their scrutineers so they are aware of the polling places, date, materials and counting system.” He said they would be using the updated roll.
“The base roll was used in the 2017 and 2019 local level government elections as the preliminary roll to come up with electoral roll for GE22,” he said.
“We’re definitely using the updated rolls.
“Unfortunately, we were not given enough enrolment forms to capture the whole voting population.
“We might expect some issues during polling and are looking forward to that by working with security personnel.”

Election funding to be released this week, says Marape

By REBECCA KUKU
THERE will be no cash payments made during the General Election 2022 (GE22) as “everything will be done electronically”, says Prime Minister James Marape.
Marape said all funding for the polling period had been released and all provinces should receive their allocations this week.
“The funding for polling has been released, however, due to the experience of past elections, there will be no cash payments,” he said.
“Everything will be done electronically so that we have records.
“This includes payments for allowances and for service providers as well.”
Marape said the Electoral Commission was ready to conduct the GE22 and the electoral roll was ready. Ballot papers and other election material will be sent to all centres this week.
“All polling and counting teams and security personnel for the GE22 will also be deployed starting today (Tuesday),” he said.
Marape made the statement after meeting Police Commissioner David Manning, Defence Commander Major-General Mark Goina, Correctional Services Commissioner Stephen Pokanis and Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai in Port Moresby.

Centre records 13 new HIV/AIDS cases in SHP

By PETER WARI
A VOLUNTARY counselling and testing centre in Southern Highlands has reported 13 new HIV/AIDS positive cases in the past few weeks, with more people movement and activities expected during the election period.
Catholic health secretary Winnie William in Epeanda told The National that eight people tested positive last month and five so far this month.
She said it posed a huge health threat during the General Election 2022. There are already around 1,000 people registered as positive cases and are on treatment.
“In the past, the centre records between one and five HIV/AIDS positive cases, but last month alone eight people were tested positive,” she said.
“Five have been reported this month but we still have two more weeks left and the number could increase.
“The election brings different people together and unprotected sex would be the main reason. People should take precautions.
“The cases recorded were for the centre alone. The number could be high.”
William said the health facility had to scale down its operation due to a shortage of medicine and health workers.
It is carrying out awareness on Tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and the Covid-19, starting from Nipa-Kutubu. She said drug-resistant TB was a big issue in the province and currently eight were on treatment.
“Due to a lack of road accessibility, many people were unable to reach health facilities,” she said.
“Many cases were unreported.
“TB remains a major problem.
“We are concerned that the spread of TB, Covid-19 and unprotected sex during the election campaign period is high and awareness is one option health workers are focusing on.”