Niu Ailan Polis have secured election materials, including ballot boxes and papers that arrived in Kavieng yesterday, Tuesday 21st of June.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s C-130J Hercules dispatched 52 ballot boxes, three electoral roll boxes with other accessories for the National General Election 2022.
New Ireland Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Chief Inspector Felix Nebanat, confirmed that security details for the materials begun with an escort from the Kavieng Airport, and will continue at the station now that the materials are stored at the Kavieng Police Station.
“We have already organised our men into teams with personnel who will be manning the location,” PPC Nebanat stated.
He highlighted that additional manpower from East New Britain’s Tomaringa Barracks is on the ground to complement local police with the securing of the container until polling time, when the seals are broken.
New Ireland Election Manager, Benjamin Kliawi, assured that the materials will be kept under police protection until polling begins, where they will be distributed to the polling teams to go into their respective polling areas.
Kliawi also revealed that a training for the gazetted Assistant Returning Officers will be conducted on Thursday and Friday in preparation for polling on Monday, 4th of July.
He also made a call to the Provincial Administrator and the District Administrator to give him 10 public servants to conduct scrutiny for the 10 polling stations for the regional seat.
“The counting scrutineers for the Kavieng and Namatanai Open electorates are already confirmed,” Kliawi stated.