Uproar in Goroka

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Some of the 86 people from Daulo detained at the Goroka Police Station for allegedly tampering with two ballot boxes. – Nationalpics by ZACHERY PER

By ZACHERY PER
EIGHT women and six children are among the 86 people detained at the Goroka Police Station for the alleged tampering of two ballot boxes from the Daulo electorate of Eastern Highlands, police say.
Eastern Highlands Police Commander Superintendent Michael Welly reminded everyone yesterday that once ballot papers, whether fraudulently filled or not, were put into the ballot boxes, they become the property of the PNG Electoral Commission.
He said no one except the Electoral Commissioner or his agents were allowed to tamper with election papers and boxes.
According to Daulo’s Returning Officer John Kopi, a fight erupted among supporters of candidates at the Keto polling station in Daulo on Tuesday.
Kopi said polling was suspended and the election team returned to Goroka because of the fighting in Keto.
“Polling was suspended because of the tense situation,” he said.
“When officials arranged for re-polling the next day (Wednesday), they found that the ballot papers had been already marked.
“Obviously, those ballot papers will be (regarded as) informal votes because they were without the officials signatures (of the presiding officer and assistant presiding officer).”
Kopi said the two ballot boxes – for the open and regional seats – from the Keto polling station were left at the Goroka police station on Wednesday.
When some Daulo candidates and their supporters heard about the illegally marked ballot papers from the Keto polling station, they fronted up at the Goroka police station yesterday.
They then allegedly tampered with the two ballot boxes from Keto at the police station.
Kopi said when police reinforcement arrived at the station, the supporters were rounded up and locked in the police cell.
He condemned what the candidates and supporters were doing to the ballot papers and boxes.
Supt Welly said there were processes and procedures as specified in the electoral laws for everyone to follow.
He urged candidates and their supporters to respect the electoral process.