MSG prioritises women – The National

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) election observer team will place more emphasis on women candidates, an official says.
Former President of Vanuatu and leader of the MSG Observer Group Kalkot Mataskelekele made this known as his team is in the country to observe General Election 2022.
“This election observation mission is unique in a sense that it places more emphasis on women candidates and how to improve women representation in national parliament,” he said.
The MSG Observer Group arrived in the country on last week.
The team include Solomon Islands High Commissioner to PNG William Soaki, manager elections Fiji office Aisea Wainiqolo, manager elections Solomon Islands office Francis Iro, and Kanak Socialist Liberation Front (FLNKS) representative Kim Than Trong.
The mission was facilitated by the MSG Secretariat under the political affairs and security programme.
Mataskelekele said the group would observe the election in line with the MSG 2038 Prosperity for All Plan for strengthening electoral process and good governance in member countries.
“Papua New Guinea is an important member of the MSG and we are calling on all Papua New Guinea citizens to embrace their democratic rights and come out in numbers to cast their vote,” he said.
As a graduate of the University of Papua New Guinea and the PNG Legal Institute, Mataskelekele said he always had a great respect for Papua New Guinea as a nation and people and wished the citizens of Papua New Guinea a good and successful general election.
The group had two teams who had started observation of polling in Central in various polling stations in Hiri-Koiari and Kairuku, monitoring the electoral processes including the opening of the poll, the voting process, the closing of the poll.
The group would observe the counting of the ballots.
Similar to other international observer groups, the MSG group was in the country to observe the election processes and to provide recommendations for the government’s consideration and strengthening the conduct of future elections.
This would be the second time that the MSG would be observing the Papua New Guinea general elections.
The first election observing mission was conducted in 2017.

Polling for Finschhafen to start today, says RO

Finschhafen returning officer Fredah Joses (right) asking scrutineers of candidates to closely inspect the seven ballot boxes at Gagidu town on Saturday to ensure they were not tampered with. The boxes were brought in from Burum Kuat the same day.

By JIMMY KALEBE
POLLING for Finschhafen is expected to start today after election officials, security personnel and scrutineers completed the verifying of election sensitive materials, an official says.
Finschhafen returning officer Freda Joses said all election materials from the five local level governments (LLGs) in Finschhafen went through a close check to ensure that there was no tampering of any boxes.
This comes after all materials from the LLGs were called back to Finschhafen headquarters in Gagidu after allegations that the materials were tempered with.
“Materials from Burum Kuat, Kote, Yabim Mape, Hube and Finschhafen Urban LLGs were thoroughly checked in the presence of security personnel and scrutineers,” she said.
“These sensitive materials were verified and will be sent back to respective LLGs before the polling starts on Tuesday (today).”

Chimbu ready for voting on Friday, says official

CHIMBU is ready to go to the polls for General Election 2022 (GE22) on Friday, an official says.
Provincial returning officer (PRO) Rev Tom Sine said there were no major GE22-related violence reported during campaign period like other provinces in Highlands.
“We are expecting successful polling on Friday so that our people can join the country to elect their leaders for the 11th Parliament because generally, there is successful campaigning in the province,” he said.
“We are ready and set to go to the poll on July 15.
“The logistics to move polling officials and ballot papers throughout the province have been organised and ready,” he said.
Sine said security officers from the police, PNG Defence Force and Correctional Services were working effectively to ensure smooth campaign by candidates and would tighten up security and increase manpower this week for polling.
He said according to the provincial police commander, there would be more than 1,000 joint security forces from the disciplinary forces deployed during polling.
Sine urged people to be responsible, take pride and respect each other when voting their first, second and third preferred candidates.
Meanwhile, Sine said the presiding officers and the assisting presiding officers would be trained for polling while ballot boxes for the provincial and six districts seats would be distributed to all the district headquarters on today and tomorrow.

Women praise EC for making polling easier

MOTHERS at 9-Mile in the National Capital District say this election will be the first compared to previous elections where women will have more freedom to exercise their constitutional rights.
Voter Maria Kaupa said they were grateful to the PNG Electoral Commission for making this possible.
“Voting in the past was very challenging for us,” she said.
“We had to struggle and push our way as we always queue up with our male counterparts and most times it was not possible to enter polling venues freely to cast our votes.” She said now having to form their own queues at polling venues was a huge relief for mothers, young women and persons with a disability (PWD). “We came to the polling station in the morning and were told to queue up separately from the men and were so happy.”