Presiding officers will be replaced: Official

ALL presiding officers for the Moresby Northwest by-election will be replaced with new officers for the counting of ballots, returning officer Desmond Timiyaso says. “We have so many applicants to be presiding officers.  “So we want to give opportunity to as many as we can. “The officers will have to provide details such as how many ballot papers were used, how many were informal etc. “And we are now uploading all their bank details to pay them,” he added. Meanwhile, a ward seven presiding officer Peter Kingi said he was not happy to be replaced by new officers at the counting. “I have all the details with me and so I have the right to be at the counting venue. “We are surprised to see a new list of presiding officers’ engaged for the counting. “We believe that this new list of officers was collected from the street and we are not agreeing with it. “We have told the scrutineers of the candidates that if things go wrong in the counting venue, we must not be blamed for it.” Kingi said: “We know how many ballot papers were used and how many were left overs. “We need to report to the scrutineers of the candidates. “The new presiding officers do not have this information. “So I have to be there, when they break the seal of the ballot boxes to sort out the ballot papers. “The scrutineers will have to ask me for the correct information. “If am not there, how will the scrutineers know?”