Lae counting officials out of jobs over dues

By ELLEN TIAMU
ABOUT 70 counting officials for the Lae open seat in Morobe were suspended last weekend following queries over payments and meals.
One of those suspended said they had queried payments and meals and petitioned Lae returning officer Daniel Wasinak at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium on Sunday soon after they were suspended.
Wasinak said yesterday that was the normal practice in any election counting – winding down numbers as the number of boxes decreased.
“What are they going to do, just stand around and get paid?” he asked.
He said out of the 160 people he initially hired, 70 were laid off as only 21 elimination boxes remained.
All those who have been laid off have been paid, Wasinak said, but the members met in Lae yesterday to take their grievances to election manager Simon Sinai.
Assistant returning officer Noah Hiob said when he met with Sinai on behalf of the group yesterday to seek clarification, Sinai said “there was too much shouting resulting in the group being made redundant”.
A member of the group, Carol Yawing, was concerned that those still employed were inexperienced.
They had not filled application forms to be part of the election, she said.
Wasinak said the Electoral Commission had paid those made redundant.
“No one has come to me personally to say they have not been paid. As far as I know, everyone has been paid their allowances for the days they worked,” he said.
Hiob said he had not been paid his allowances after he was hospitalised following an attack on him.
“I am still an assistant returning officer and the attack on me happened while I was conducting business for the Electoral Commission,” he said.    
A declaration is expected to be made today for the Lae open seat.