Top cop discusses deferral

THE one-day polling for the Moresby North-West by-election yesterday had to be postponed to tomorrow because police suspect attempts were being made to rig the election, Port Moresby Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu says.
“We had to intervene at the eleventh hour to defer the polling following a tip-off that some ballot papers were stored in a warehouse without our knowledge,” he said. “We went to the warehouse and found some ballot papers packed there.
“We were not told about the storage of the ballot papers. “Even the Electoral Commission (PNGEC) staff were not aware of the storage of the ballot papers. “So I met Acting Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai at about 3pm on Tuesday and advised him to defer the polling.” Supt Ikumu said yesterday that “we suspect a PNGEC senior officer is involved in the illegal storage of the ballot papers without informing the police and Sinai. “We are fully prepared for the election and we did a show of strength (about 200 members) on Monday afternoon at Unagi in Gordon. We are prepared to assist PNGEC to go to polls (today). “But we suspect that the PNGEC had erred. “We are supposed to go through the ballot papers together to verify the total number of ballot papers. “That did not happen.”However, Sinai said the warehouse was where the ballot papers were kept. “That warehouse was the right place for the ballot papers to be kept and be sorted out. “Ballot papers are not supposed to be kept and sorted out in the office. Once again there was a misunderstanding between the police and us,” he added. Sinai earlier said that administratively they were organised and prepared to go to polling areas yesterday when police suddenly entered the PNGEC headquarters on Tuesday at about 3pm to question electoral staff. “Our polling teams and the polling schedules are ready. “Ballot papers have been distributed to the 136 teams. “The polling materials and stationery were picked up on Monday by the respective assistant returning officers.  “The teams are all geared up to go camping at the poll sites as far as we are concerned,” he said. Sinai said:
“We will now have to resolve the misunderstanding with the police so they can implement their security operations for the 136 polling teams.”