2022 National General Elections

The second intake for 2022 included 123 women.

Police Commissioner David Manning said the reserve recruits had undergone police work ethics, community policing, basic investigation, and police arrest procedures including electoral offences.

He added that RPNGC is taking all necessary steps to train competent and model citizens in their respective communities.

Highlands Eastern-End Divisional Commander Assistant Commissioner Rigga Neggi said the materials were picked up by security personnel at Kagamuga airport in Mt. Hagen and brought directly to the police barracks.

Neggi added that while security personnel are monitoring the materials, he has warned the public to keep away.

“We do not want to see anyone coming around the Kimininga Police Barracks,” said Neggi.

“You have no reason to come around unless you are a security personnel assigned to watch over election materials.

For this reason, NACS in collaboration with the PNG Electoral Commission and the Department of Health have intensified the prevention efforts to minimize further transmission of HIV and other STIs, Unintended pregnancies, and COVID-19 during the elections.

NACS Acting Director, Tony Lupiwa, in a discussion stated that messages will be printed on posters, produced in jingles and T-shirts, which were presented recently by the Chinese Government.

The Chinese Embassy’s Director of Political Section, Sun Jai, stated that the shirts bearing NACS HIV prevention messages were for the general elections.

NACS Acting Director, Tony Lupiwa, said they were aware of the election activities that accompanies some risky practices.

He said the election experiences a lot of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, unsafe sexual practices including transitional sexual activities.

The shirts will be distributed to health authorities once awareness is done in different provinces.

Chimbu Provincial Police Commander Superintendent, David Warap says the province is into the final period of campaigning with very few incidents created by supporters of candidates, but police have managed this.

He said police have stepped up with the launch of the 2022 National General Election security operations for the Highlands region and police will be out in full force to conduct security operations.

That is the directive from the Highlands Eastern-end Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Rigga Neggi.

He issued this instruction, when condemning the actions of two Hagen Open electorate candidates, William Duma and James Yoka for the disruption caused to government and commercial services in the heart of Mt Hagen city on Tuesday, June 21.

Commander Neggi said the swift response of the security forces on the ground contained the situation but it could have been much worse.

This promotes a person’s constitutional right to be freely expressed in voting in a national election without external influences.

However, irregularities have become common practices in the Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Elections.

Francis Potape, who is contesting the Hela Provincial seat told this newsroom that this incident has led to many rumours and concerns ‘We are calling on all the people of Hela to report any suspicious people to police and let the law deal with them,” Potape said.
 
He also suggested that security personnel involved in the elections must wear special armbands to show that they are genuine serving officers.   

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.

Team Central consists of Returning Officers and Assistant Returning officers from Hiri/Koiari, Kairuku, Goilala, Rigo and Abau district who attended a two-day training.

Election Manager for Central Province, Peter Malaifeope said the aim of the training is to upskill the team on the voting system.

Provincial Awareness & Training Officer, Lister Gabi will be training the officers in theory and practical to assist. He stated that most of the RO’s and ARO’s are aware of the system and have conducted the past two elections, however needed a refresher.