Polling for by-election deferred

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLLING for the Moresby North-West by-election has been deferred to Friday due to communication break-down between the police and PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC), acting Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says.
Sinai said there was a misunderstanding between the police election operation team and the PNGEC staff.
He said his office thought everything was in order as police were part of the provincial election steering committee (PESC). But police officers entered the PNGEC office and checked ballot papers and questioned staff yesterday afternoon, he said. Sinai said the one-day polling was deferred to Friday for the police operations team to prepare its security plan and operations order to accompany the polling teams in the five wards in Moresby North-West electorate.
“As you all know that in PNG, we can’t do elections without the police, that’s why we are deferring the polls to Friday and I apologise for that.” Sinai said this yesterday during a press conference at the PNGEC office in Port Moresby. “Administratively, we (PNGEC) are organised and we were preparing to go to polling areas tomorrow (today),” he said.
“Our polling teams and the polling schedules are ready. “Ballot papers have been distributed to the 136 teams.
“The polling materials and stationeries have been picked up on Monday by the respective assistance returning officers. “The teams are all geared up to go camping at the poll sites as far as our management is concerned.
“With all the arrangements we have done, we had police entering the office to question our staff.
“Unfortunately, I was expecting the PESC, which has police representatives, to fix up all security issues.”