Lae police told to be neutral

By GABRIEL LAHOC
MOROBE Deputy Governor Morokoi Gaiwata is calling on police not to take sides with candidates and for the Lae metropolitan commander supt to investigate illegal activities.
Gaiwata said police officers must act professionally to deter the increasing reports of illegal activities surrounding the elections in Lae and Morobe province.
He said the national government had deployed police as part of the security force covering the national elections and it was their job to make sure no polling officials were hurt and candidates played by the rules.
Gaiwata vented his frustration in a press conference after reports of the assault of an assistant returning officer at the Lae district office, by supporters of a Lae open candidate.
“I’m questioning what roles police officers are doing here in Lae as there was no police presence when the assistant returning officer for Lae was assaulted by the mob,” Gaiwata said.
He said police officers should not take sides or seem to take sides with candidates and must remain neutral when covering the election.
Attempts to get comments from Lae police were unsuccessful.
Gaiwata blamed the Electoral Commission for the missing names on the common roll despite an assurance from Commissioner Andrew Trawen.
He said the 2007 common roll should have been used as a supplementary roll to compliment the 2012 common roll and used to fill in missing names.
He said despite that voting generally progressed well in the nine districts in Morobe.