Kerema, Gulf Province, hopes to start counting by this weekend.
“We are trying to work towards counting on Saturday,” says Returning Officer Ronney Havenggau.
He revealed to Loop PNG that some parts of Kikori district are still polling.
Factors that have hindered polling in Gulf include bad weather, transport issues with choppers and the late dispatching of materials.
Following that, the central tally board was razed to the ground last week, and the provincial Electoral Commission office looted, after the shooting death of a young man by police.
“We sympathise with the family because the counting board was burnt due to frustrations,” says the RO.
“We will rebuild the stage for counting, which was located out on the field, not in a counting room.
“We also lost printers and other equipment in the Electoral Commission office during last week’s incident, but we will work around that to ensure counting is conducted as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, situation has returned to normal after a 20-man mobile squad unit arrived in Kerema last Friday. Personnel from the PNG Defence Force are also on ground.
(Relatives of the victim gathering at the Kerema police station last week – Picture: Supplied)
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