Madang wants extra polling days

By GLORIA BAUAI in Madang
MADANG will need at least five more days to bring to an end polling across its six districts, says election manager Sponsa Navi.
Navi said polling in the districts got off to a slow start last Monday (July 4) with minor hiccups along the way that affected the process.
Madang is expected to conclude polling today (July 12) as per the schedule.
But Navi said while some teams ended polling this week, a few teams were yet to go into the polling areas in remote parts of the province.
“Most of Madang, Sumkar, Bogia and parts of Usino-Bundi should be completed by mid-this week,” he said.
“Middle Ramu and Rai Coast due to their remoteness still need assistance to airlift; some teams for closer areas have already gone in and their polling has just started.
“I’ve asked the Electoral Commission for at least five additional days for these districts especially and hope to get a response soon.”
Navi also confirmed that some areas of Madang, such as Bogia had Saturday polling.
“However, I sought advice from him and he approved Saturday polling based on the reason that we had a short timeframe and needed extra days to poll.”
Navi said counting for Madang regional, Madang, Rai Coast, Middle Ramu and Sumkar opens would be based in Madang town, while Usino-Bundi would count at their new stadium and Bogia at their station.

Cops warn warring tribes in Dei, WHP

POLICE have summoned warring tribal factions in Western Highlands and warned them to uphold and respect their truce agreement or face the consequences, Highland eastern-end deputy commander Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop says.
“Kimkas and Rogates’ leaders in Dei were summoned to the Mt Hagen police station for the warning after police received reports of tensions building up between the tribes,” he added.
“Since we have signed the agreement, there was peace but we still have customary obligations that we need to sort out for those who have died in this bloody and protracted conflict before a permanent peace agreement can be signed,” he said.
Tondop told the leadership of both tribes that the agreement had laid the foundation for the journey to a permanent peace agreement and thus the legal binding document must be observed at all times.
“So many lives have been lost and properties worth millions of Kina destroyed. “I feel for the women and children who were displaced.
“The agreement must be respected and complied, with” he added.
Tondop said the Kimkas tribe had returned to the conflict area and this was in breach of the truce agreement.
“I therefore issued a directive to the Kimkas, who have moved into the conflict zone, to leave and the Rolgakas to ease the tension.”

Madang prepares for counting

MADANG will go into General Election 2022 (GE22) counting of ballots this week without any extra security personnel, Madang Commander Acting Superintendent Mazuc Rubiang says.
“We have only 225 local policemen, with reserve and new graduate trainees bringing the total manpower to slightly more than 300.
“With Eastern Highlands going into polls this week, the 100 men from Goroka deployed to Madang for polling have been withdrawn.
“Some of our polling booths have no security personnel because we do not have enough men.
“But what we are doing now is to step up patrol to ensure safe, free and fair polling for GE22.
“However, we are also facing problems with logistics but we are doing what we can,” he added.
Rubiang said despite the challenges, Madang had so far recorded a very quiet nomination, campaign and polling periods with no major GE22-related violence reported as the province approached counting.
He confirmed a killing in Rai Coast’s Nayudo where an arrangement had been made to complete polling for all polling centres and leave Nayudo to poll last so that all the manpower could be deployed for security.

Manam islanders want change

THIS may be the last general election Manam settlers cast their votes if the issues of their resettlement is not prioritised by the new government, a leader says.
Residents at the Asuramba Care Centre in Bogia expressed during polling on Friday that despite their participation in elections, their call for resettlement had been neglected for years.
Local leader Nelson Mambote said leaders had turned a blind eye on their plight as all three care centres – Botola, Asuramba and Mangem – had regressed into settlements with poor living conditions.
“We’ve been voting new governments for three national elections now since being displaced – 2012, 2017 and now 2022, but still our call for resettlement has dragged on for 18 years,” he said.
“We’ve been displaced since 2004; I’ve voted with my children and now my grandchildren while still living in this care-centre turned settlement.
“We have a very rundown and handicapped clinic, no high school and technical schools, increasing cases of alcohol abuse and illegal activities by youth, poor water supply, no permanent ground to call our own to expand gardens or do business, no source of income.
“Here in Asuramba, the land portion is too small for the growing population; families need to sit on their own permanent blocks and concentrate on building their own lives.
“We have been left struggling despite our involvement to elect leaders; if we don’t see progress with the Manam Resettlement in this next term, we will not vote in 2027 because there is no point in electing leaders who will not fight for us.
“We insist for a permanent resettlement and this new government must take this as a serious issue, fast track it and solve this problem once and for all.”
Mambote called all new Momase leaders to unite their voices for the Manam resettlement cause.