Polls completed in Tabubil, Olsobip

By ADRIAN MATHIAS
POLLING in the Star Mountains and Olsobip local level government areas in the North Fly electorate were completed last Sunday, with ballot boxes being locked away at the Tabubil police station, waiting for counting in Kiunga on Monday.
Assistant returning officer for the North Fly electorate and area returning officer for Olsobip Roy Urume said although Star Mountains and Olsobip started polling late, they had managed to complete before the end of voting.
Urume said there were no security issues regarding polling in the North Fly electorate, especially in the Star Mountains and Olsobip.
“Polling was conducted peacefully in both LLG areas. Security was not an issue around here,” he said.
He said some people from Olsobip had their names listed in the electoral roll in their villages but did not turn up to vote because they were
living in Tabubil.
“About 85-90% of Olsobip’s population live in Tabubil,” he said.
Urume said people must be partly blamed for not making an effort to have their names checked that it was on the electoral roll.
He said candidates must not accuse the Electoral Commission for not having names on the electoral roll.
Urume said people must make it their responsibility to ensure their names had been taken and were recorded on the electoral roll.
 “Olsobip people have no reason to blame us (him and his officers) about their names not being on the electoral roll,” Urume said.
He said one factor for names not recorded or listed in the respective electoral rolls around the country was to do with the mobility
of people.
He said a voter in Kiunga could not vote because his name was on the electoral roll in Lake Murray, in the Middle Fly electorate.