Wewak to get new returning officer

 By GABRIEL FITO

EAST Sepik returning officer Lukas Engime will appoint a new assistant to head elections for the Wewak urban local level government starting today.

This follows complaints by several candidates for the Wewak mayor’s seat who disputed the engagement of the an employee of the town commission as assistant returning officer. 

The candidates petitioned the Electoral Commission on Monday to remove the officer because there might be a conflict of interest as he had served under the sitting mayor.

The candidates claimed there were irregularities in polling schedules, causing confusion and depriving the rights of most of their supporters from casting their votes.

“I have gone through your petition but will not dismiss the officer,” Engime said.

“This is because he was contracted by the Electoral Commission as an assistant returning officer to conduct elections for Wewak urban.

“But I will do a reshuffle with another ARO so that by tomorrow (today) you will have a new ARO to conduct elections for Wewak Urban,” Engime said.