Certain candidates were allegedly behind the disruption of the National Capital District’s polling yesterday.
NCD metropolitan superintendent, Commander Ben Turi, believes these individuals’ ploy was to buy time to gather support.
He based his conviction on intel received from NCD police officers deployed to the highlands region.
“NCD officers have been calling me from Mt Hagen and Southern Highlands that a lot of people are getting on planes to come double vote in Port Moresby.
“NCD polling has never failed before. It was orchestrated so that their supporters could return and vote again.”
Yesterday (June 27), NCD was supposed to conduct its one-day polling. However, trouble started brewing at the Moresby North-West electorate when officials attempted to boycott polling in all wards of the electorate. The incident was the result of non-payment of camping allowance.
However, Turi says payment has never been an issue before.
“They signed an agreement with the Electoral Commission to become election officials. And ‘camping allowance’ is for those who have traveled out to other provinces.”
The police boss further says after the elections, the team leaders who orchestrated the boycott will be investigated.
Meanwhile, security in the nation’s capital will be further boosted in preparation of polling on Friday, June 30.