Ballot papers burnt 2017

Returning officer Daniel Wasinak confirmed no polling for the station after ballot papers, totalling between 1,500 and 2000, were burnt by angry students yesterday.

He said from what he received, the students were upset on the shortage of ballot papers for the polling station.

But Wasinak said there was no shortage.

“There are other polling stations in the ward and the ballot papers were distributed accordingly through the wards. There was no shortage.”

A source on the ground says student voters destroyed the polling booth because ballot papers did not match the number of eligible voters – an estimated 4 thousand plus voters against just more than 1100 ballot papers.

Lae’s metropolitan superintendent, Anthony Wagambie Junior, said police responded to the ballot paper burning episode, where three prime suspects have been identified.

Two of the suspects were caught boarding a 25-seater bus parked outside the campus with a large group of people after the ballot papers were burnt.