Election time

The National Main Stories

By REBECCA KUKU
THE reprinted ballot papers for areas infringed by the seven new electorates arrived in the country yesterday from Australia.
Deputy electoral commissioner John Kalamoroh said the Electoral Commission was now ready to run the general election.
Kalamoroh did not disclose the number of re-printed papers.
He said the writs would be issued on Thursday and assured the people, including candidates and political parties that the general election would go ahead as planned.
“We now have the ballot papers for all 22 provinces and the 96 districts, the PNG Defence Force and the Australian Defence Force will be providing security and transporting ballots,” he said.
“The indelible ink from India, about 10,000 10mls bottles are all in the country now, the returning officers have all been appointed and gazetted and they have already appointed election officials in their electorates to help with the conduct of election on the ground and the electoral roll has also been completed and updated,” he said.
Kalamoroh said the key dates for the election remained the same, as:

Deputy electoral commissioner John Kalamoroh says the general election will go ahead as planned after the reprinted ballot papers for areas infringed by the seven new electorates arrived in the country yesterday.
  • ISSUE of writ/nomination opens on Thursday – May 12 – at 4pm;
  • NOMINATION closes on Thursday – May 19 – at 4pm;
  • POLLING period starts on Saturday – July 9;
  • POLLING period ends on Friday – July 22; and,
  • RETURN of Writs on or before July 29.

Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai said last month that because the seven electorates were only approved last month, they were not included in the ballot papers already printed by Australia.
The seven new electorates are Hiri-Koiari, Popondetta, Nakanai, Delta-Fly, Wau-Waria, Komo-Hulia and Porgera-Paiela.
Sinai said the Electoral Commission, therefore, destroyed the ballot papers printed for Middle Fly, Kairuku-Hiri, Ijivitari, Talasea, Bulolo, Komo-Margarima and Laigap-Porgera.
He said Australia had to reprint ballot papers for Delta Fly, Hiri-Koiari, Popondetta, Nakanai, Wau-Waria, Komo-Hulia and Porgera-Paiela.
“For example, Kairuku-Hiri ballots for this electorate was printed as Kairuku-Hiri before the new electorate was formed. Now it has been split into Kairuku and Hiri-Koiari. So new ballots have to be printed for Kairuku and new ballots for Hiri-Koiari. The same for Talasea, Nakanai and Popondetta,” Sinai said earlier.
He said Australia had to reprint new ballot papers for the seven new electorates and the electorates affected by the changes.