Govt urged to run fresh polls

TSAK local level government former president Yupere Kanguope had his election voided by the PNG Electoral Commission in August 2008.
Ever since then, he had been waiting in vain for fresh elections.
Tsak was one of eight failed LLG elections in Wapenamanda electorate.
A further 27 LLG elections were said to have been declared failed throughout Enga for which there had been no fresh by-elections.
Most of the elections were failed because of alleged violence and foul play during the conduct of elections.
Kanguope said the PNGEC was duty-bound to conduct fresh elections and intimated that if there were no elections until the general elections next year, it was likely the people of those affected LLGs would not allow for national elections to be conducted in their areas.
Kanguope’s election was voided after election in the area was disrupted four times during elections between June and July 2008.
A box from his Iapali Rest House box from the first election attempt on June 20, 2008,  was counted on July 31 where he said he scored 52 formal votes.
A further 197 votes were declared informal.
On Aug 1, the Enga provincial returning officer, Bain Lyabian declared the election failed instead of declaring Kanguope.
Kanguope, in Port Moresby to seek legal redress through the courts, told The National on Monday that: “My election was failed 31 months ago and I am waiting for an answer from the Electoral Commission.
“However, when the Member for North Bougainville was made Governor-General a by-election was called within weeks.
“We demand some fair play. We councillors face the people on a daily basis and feel their pain. We are assaulted and threatened when there are problems in the community.
“We represent the third level government. We get small pay and yet we are closest to the people. There must be some respect shown to us councillors.”