Hela elections hum along to the end

LOCAL level government (LLG) elections in Hela proceeded well but, two ballot boxes were allegedly hijacked by intending candidates vying for council president seats for three districts.
Provincial returning officer and deputy election manager Anna Pame said it was trouble-free council elections across the 275 wards within 14 LLGs in Tari-Pori, Komo-Margarima and Koroba-Kopiago.
She said the ballot papers in the hijacked boxes were marked and later returned.
“These two ballot boxes were rejected and never counted,” Pame said.
Pame said the peaceful elections demonstrated the people’s appreciation for the electoral process despite violence in the province during the weeks leading up to the election.
Pame said she received no reports of threats, intimidations or coercion from her 14 assistant returning officers and from the voters since nominations started last month to the close on July 4.
“For LLGs without problems, the voting, counting and declarations were done on the same day.
“For wards that had problems, we mobilised additional polling officials to assist the people at a centralised LLG site to cast votes before counting,” Pame said.
She said 273 writs had been signed.
From a total 1,716 candidates, 21 were females with two of them winning their council seats.
Election steering committee chairman and deputy administrator for policy programme management Eddie Yuwi said despite recent fighting in Tagali, polling was conducted peacefully.
Hela government also ensured everyone was given a chance to vote by airlifting ballot boxes and election personnell to remote areas such as Mt Bosavi.