Electoral Commission

The NCD metropolitan police commander Ben Turi has given this assurance when confirming with PNG Loop that his 1,700 police personnel are on standby to deliver the operations.

He says that all NCD polling booths have been confirmed with his operations staff with scheduled personnel to be assigned to man them.

“There will be a minimum of ten officers stationed at the polling sites,” he adds.

The election materials were printed in Indonesia.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato confirmed to Loop PNG that “ballot papers arrived on Tuesday and have been cleared.

 “They will be under tight guard by Police and Army in a secured place.”

Because of the security protocol, the PNG Electoral Commission will not disclose the location where the ballot papers are being kept for safe keeping for voting in June.   

Dr Gelu said it is influenced by the environment and culture of the people.  

“Our systems of elections in PNG are still very much influence by factors that are clearly unconventional, factors that are illegal and truly undemocratic.”

Dr Gelu was speaking on Tuesday, to journalists attending a media election training workshop conducted by the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) and Australian Electoral Commission.        

He said the conduct of election is the core business of PNGEC.

That was an appeal from deputy Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.

He was speaking at the PNG Electoral Commission run-election training for journalist.

"Media play a crucial role in keeping the necessary checks and balances and I believe you will do the same for the 2017 National Elections to ensure there is transparency and integrity in the whole election process," Sinai said.

"This is because misreporting and misinformation can lead to unrest and violence."

The Speaker of Parliament, the Attorney General, Electoral Commission and chairman of the Constitutional Law and Reforms Commission, are to be served the reference by February 16.

The Commission must serve the reference on the four parties, including an application seeking interim orders. If these parties are interested in the reference, they are to file responding statements by February 21.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia issued the directions to Ombudsman Commission’s counsel Dr Vergil Narokobi today.

Basil said: “We understand that the Prime Minister is directly controlling Electoral Commission.

“The proposed amendments regarding the National Elections that came before Parliament are not from the Electoral Commissioner, it’s from the Prime Minister himself and the ruling Party.

“We believe that the Prime Minister is behind the printing of ballot papers overseas.”

Meantime, Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato recently confirmed with Loop PNG that their staff are supervising the printing in Indonesia and it is under control.

Polye made the call when responding to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s call on politicians to let Gamato carry out his constitutional duties in handling the election.

 He said the Commissioner’s conduct so far had proved that he was not discharging his constitutional duties independently as he should have been.

Polye said he has only been guiding the Electoral Commissioner to perform his constitutional duties to deliver a free and fair election.

He said Gamato’s conduct has already started the process of rigging the election process.

Earlier this week in an agreement signing between the National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government and their two electoral commissions, the PNG Electoral Commission and the Bougainville Electoral Commission, agreed for an establishment of an independent body, the Bougainville Referendum Commission (BRC), which will oversee the running of Bougainville’s Referendum.

I do not give orders to PNGEC: Prime Minister

“I do not give instructions to the PNG Electoral Commissioner,” says Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

http://www.looppng.com/png-news/i-do-not-give-orders-pngec-prime-minister-50978

Joe Lat, David Akipa and Tetias Narina were three of the many service providers that Loop PNG caught up with outside the Electoral Commission office.

 They claimed that the Electoral Commission is yet to pay them for the services they provided in the 2012 National Election.

“There are good number of us who provided services for the 2012 Elections and it’s not just us, here in NCD but other provinces as well.”