National Capital District (NCD)

Kila Kila Secondary School, Sir John Guise Stadium and Rita Flynn Courts will be the venues.

The PNG Electoral Commission released the counting venues today.

All ballot boxes for the Moresby South Electorate will be counted at the secondary school.

Counting for Moresby North-East will be at the Sir John Guise stadium while the Rita Flynn Courts will be used for the NCD Regional Seat counting as well as Moresby North-West.

The incident happened sometime around 11.30pm.

However, NCD metropolitan superintendent, Commander Ben Turi, says there is no need for distress.

“We were firing to disperse the crowd,” he tells Loop PNG.

“People were gathering around the area; it was overcrowded. We had to chase everyone away.”

This happened after NCD’s one-day polling. As electoral officials and security personnel packed up and transported the materials to the complex, vehicles loaded with people also followed suit.

Police had no choice but to resort to that tactic.

“We will have a tight and security conscious election today,” says NCD metropolitan superintendent, Ben Turi.

“All the auxiliaries and reservists in the city will be out to stand in all polling booths.

“We will be recalling all these auxiliaries and reservists except those under NCDC.”

They include polling officials, candidates’ scrutineers and supporters.

NCD Election Manager Alvin Jimmy said the pre-count was to begin at 2pm however, at this time, the venue is still closed with security personnel manning the area.

Media personnel are also waiting outside for entry into the venue.

The reconciliation of ballot papers aims to dispel rumours and suspicions of election rigging in the capital city.

Among those are NCD Regional candidates Andy Bawa, Jamie Maxtone Graham and Moresby North-East candidate John Kaupa.

They are intending to give a second petition to Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato. The reason behind this activity is yet to be determined.

Commissioner Gamato is now meeting with them.

More updates to follow.

This also includes disgruntled voters, who lined up in front to demand answers as to why polling was called off in NCD.

Tension is seen to be very high around the Boroko area at the moment as police vehicles are escorting all officials back to the EC head office.

Many disgruntled voters and candidates are very unhappy about the turnout of events in the nation's capital and are demanding answers from officials.

More and more people are gathering and police presence is seen to be more active now, to control and escort officials to bring in the polling materials.

Some polling officials are not aware of the decisions made to defer polling.

Team 3 and 4 of Moresby North-East, stationed at Three-Mile, set up at 9:30am.

The officials confirmed polling materials on site but no word yet from the authorities.

A few police personnel were on site.

In the meantime, people who have gathered at polling sites are being advised to wait for official notice.

In the case of box 5, voting commenced at 9am but had to close by 10 upon word of deferral.

The Electoral Commission confirmed this morning after confusion hit the nation’s capital at the start of its one-day polling.

All electorates in NCD will go to the polls on Friday after electoral officials raised concerns over their allowance not being paid last night.

There is also confusion over the electoral roll as most eligible voters’ names are not on the roll. Even some candidates’ names are not on the roll.

Members of the RPNGC, PNGDF and the CS started off with a parade march along the one lane street outside the police station and later lined up in front of the station.

Assistant Commissioner of Police for Operations, Jim Andrews stressed to the officers that there shouldn't be any separation between the forces and that it is important they maintain a good working relationship.

ACP Andrews urged the public that it is not only the responsibility of the police but for everyone to take ownership of the 2017 General elections.

Metropolitan Superintendent, Ben Turi, said since last Thursday, 10 deaths have been reported to police.

Details of the deaths vary as all eight men and two women were killed at different times and at different locations in the city.

Apart from two people killed in an election-related incident at Vadavada last weekend, other deaths were related to domestic arguments and ethnic clashes.