LLG polls hiccup

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
MORE than 80 wards could be failed if there were irregularities in the conduct of the recent local level government elections, says Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato, pictured.
“So far I have received reports that some writs have not been conducted properly,” he said.
“And I will rely on the presiding officers’ journal to determine if I will accept or fail those wards.”
He listed 27 wards in Western Highlands, 39 in Enga, two in Hela and one in Jiwaka.
In addition, there are also 15 uncontested wards.
“So these are the wards that I will determine based on the journals submitted by the presiding officers to the returning officers and forwarded to me for consideration and decisions,” he said.
The exercise was to elect councillors in 6,385 wards in the 331 local level governments.
The writs were returned last Friday to the Minister for Inter-government Relations Pila Niningi.
Gamato also advised aggrieved candidates to file their cases at the Court of Disputed Returns in their districts.
Gamato said he would fail the wards found to have practised election fraud during the elections.
For example, allegations of foul play were raised in the Kopiago district of Hela.
Outgoing Kopiago station councillor Tom Pakele alleged that extra ballot papers had been used in the ward, winners were declared at the Yali, Egali, Ambi, Yokona and Wiski wards although there was no polling conducted there. And in the Hagini ward, it was alleged that voters cast their ballot papers in two boxes but only one box was counted.
In the Aluni and Ayukuni wards, it is alleged that winners were declared at the wards while two were declared in Tari.
“Election went well in my Kopiago station ward where all the eligible voters voted for the six of us who were contesting,” he said.
“And 200 extra ballot papers were left over after all have voted and the assistant returning officer closed the polling.
“But the other candidates insisted that the 200 extra papers should be divided among us.
“So to protect the ballot box, the ARO gave five papers each to us. And after we mark out all the ballot papers, we cast them into the box.
“The ARO counted and declared that the winner got 225. I lost by three. Had we not used the extra ballot papers, I should have won.
“So I’m calling for this ward to be declared a failed election.”