Polling in Goilala slow, says candidate

By AILEEN KWARAGU
TWO polling teams are yet to conduct polling while more than 30 ballot boxes in Goilala, Central, are yet to be taken to Port Moresby, a candidate says.
Central regional seat candidate Rufina Peter said the delay was a concern because counting for the provincial seat had already started.
“Polling ended two weeks ago while ballot boxes in parts of Woitape and the Guari local level governments (LLGs) are yet to be extracted to their respective stations which is a concern,” she said.
Peter said the collaboration between the Goilala returning officer Theo Maia and the logistics team within the Central election office needed to be improved in order to have the issue sorted out.
She said the delay was also with the helicopter company owned by incumbent Governor nor Robert Agarobe.
“The ballot boxes will be transported by Helifix which is owned by the incumbent governor which is a concern,” she said.
“This is a direct conflict of interest as a regional candidate because we had the same company involved in the 2017 General Election.”
Meanwhile, Maia told The National yesterday that extraction of 52 ballot boxes would take place today and polling for Woitape LLG would begin today.
“The issue has been sorted and the extraction exercise for ballot boxes in Guari and Woitape LLGs will happen today while the ward 14 teams in Woitape LLG will be transported to conduct polling,” he said.
Maia said so far 28 ballot boxes for the Tapini LLG were brought to Port Moresby last week.