Milne Bay counting hits snag

Main Stories, National
Source:

The National, Tuesday 10th July, 2012

By LESLIE OMARO
COUNTING for Milne Bay province hit a snag yesterday when seven of the 32 candidates for the Alotau seat claimed that there was foul play involving a ballot box from the Aioma area.
Election manager Dadu Daga said the matter was resolved yesterday after the seven candidates raised a point in a petition that one of the ballot boxes from team seven was full when there were just 3,000 eligible voters in  that area.
“That box has been disputed and myself and returning officer for Alotau Thomas Pilai have agreed to leave that box out until the final count when it will be admitted and counted,” Daga said.
“From our own records, ballot papers were less than the number they were talking about.”
He also rejected suggestions that team number seven had used the 2007 electoral roll.
Counting for Alotau resumed at 2pm yesterday afternoon at the Cameron Secondary School Strang Hall following the brief delay.