Waiting 2 weeks for transport

By GLORIA BAUAI
FOUR polling teams for the Gama local level government of Usino-Bundi are still waiting to be transported to their respective wards to start polling.
According to Usino-Bundi Returning Officer Terence Baiyo, the gazetted date to complete the polling for the district was yesterday, (July 13), but extended that to Friday.
Mike Wesley, an official stepping in to help Gama assistant returning officer (ARO) Fabian Meker with communication, said the Gama team had been at the Walium station for more than two weeks.
“Our team came on June 28 thinking that they’d be moved out by July 4,” he said.
“All their cash advances have been depleted here at Walium station. We still don’t know how longer we will wait for this team to be moved into the respective wards.”
Presiding officer of Gama’s Team 237 Teddius Dolbanz said back home, confusion and frustration had grown, with people calling, demanding to know the reason for the delay.
“In past elections, we were given two days to cover our two wards but with these delays, I don’t know what will be expected of us,” he said.
“Gama is very mountainous and can take a day’s walk to move between wards or polling sites we are assigned to. So this is very concerning.”
Baiyo said helicopter, which was a more convenient mode of transport into these part of the LLG, had been the main cause for the delay.
“They allocated choppers for election purposes but currently the chopper is being used by other provinces as well, for us it’s Middle Ramu and Raicoast,” he said.
“We completed our chopper schedule insertion last month and gave Heli Niugini to fit us into their schedule. But because their four choppers have limited seats, they couldn’t accommodate all the teams, so most of our teams were delayed.
“I’ve already made a request to the Electoral Commission for a one-week polling extension for Usino-Bundi.
“I’ve also got my officials to play around with the remaining dates between polling and counting, as long as we complete it by the July 29 return of writs.
“We have just revised the polling schedule – depending on when the teams arrive at that polling place, give additional days.”
Meker said four of his eight teams were already in the LLG and two had completed their polling.
“One transported their ballot boxes back to Walium station on Tuesday night while the other is awaiting a chopper,” he said.
“For the four teams still at Walium, we are working on plan B to send them by river or by foot – another costly and time-consuming exercise if the chopper doesn’t come .”