Sepik polling progressing well

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A DROP in the water level in the Sepik River has hampered transportation of ballot boxes from remote areas along the Hunstein Ranges in the Ambunti-Drekirkir area of  East Sepik, Ambunti-Drekirkir returning officer Benjamin Gawi said yesterday.
“Network coverage is bad so I don’t know the progress of polling there,” he told The National.
“So far polling is progressing well and out of 21 polling teams, 16 are yet to be completed.
“Only five teams have completed polling but we are on schedule and hoping to wind up by Friday.”
Angoram and Wewak returning officers expressed similar sentiments and said they also expected to finish by Friday.
“We  encountered hiccups in Angoram only — mostly to do with missing names on the common roll.
“But polling is continuing. Eleven teams have completed polling while 21 are still in progress,”   Angoram returning officer Cherobin Vaiang said.
Wewak returning officer Thaddeus Ulapapik said rain had delayed polling since last Wednesday.
“Also people have disputed polling in some areas after finding out that their names were not on the common roll.
“But after the polling officers explained the problems and urged for progress, the disgruntled people gave in and allowed polling to progress. So far two polling teams have completed their tasks and 27 teams are yet to be competed.”
Meanwhile, in West Sepik, Nuku returning officer Francis Yawalan said they expected to complete polling by Friday.  “Six teams have competed polling and 10 more teams to go,” Yawalan said.