Counting

Election Manager Sponsa Navi told Loop PNG that training will take place on Saturday.

Navi has also been instructed by the Electoral Commissioner to commence counting the same day after training.

This comes after counting was deferred from yesterday (Thursday) to Monday, July 10.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato this week said counting in Manus will commence next Monday. However, that has been moved back to Saturday, according to Navi.

Provincial

Counting officials, who turned up as early as 8am, are still waiting to be given access into the counting venue at the Rita Flynn Sporting complex.

Only a handful of Electoral officers are present while heavily armed police personnel man the entrance and parameter of the venue.

Ballot boxes remain locked up at the site.

More updates to follow.

Ialibu-Pangia Returning Officer, Michael Ariando, told Loop PNG this morning that all ballot boxes will be extracted to Mendi today and tomorrow.

Ariando added that about nine ballot boxes in the remote area of Ialibu-Pangia will be extracted today to Ialibu station before transporting them to Mendi.

He said the weather pattern in the province has also affected polling, which resulted in the late extraction of the ballot boxes.

However, despite the late polling in some areas, voting has been peaceful since Sunday, July 2.

Although the scheduled start time was 9am, officials were called in at around 10:20am.

Officials stood in line while Electoral Commission officers called them in, one by one, for the NCD regional count.

Also at the venue will be counting for Moresby North-West.

While officials were let in, a few among the group began calling out for allowances.

Officials from other counting venues have threatened to boycott counting until allowances are paid.

Counting for Tari-Pori Open electorate commenced today.

After count five, sitting MP, James Marape, is leading with 3,315 votes.

On second place is Jonny Pokaya Philip with 792 votes and Michael Joseph Pajawi on 451 votes.

Counting for Komo-Margarima and Koroba-Kopiago has been disrupted because of the issue of a petition.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says additional security personnel have been deployed to provide security at the disrupted venues.

In Eastern Highlands Province, counting will commence on Friday, July 7.

Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato, announced yesterday that counting at all appointed venues are expected to begin.

He said following polling on Friday, June 30^th, all ballot boxes were sent to Rita Flynn Sporting complex and then later distributed to counting venues.

The counting venues include the Sir John Guise Stadium (Moresby North-East), Kila Kila Secondary School (Moresby South), while the Rita Flynn Complex will house the Moresby North-West and NCD Regional Counting.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato announced this during an update on polling in the province.

He said there were a few hiccups such as the fight at South Wosera between drunkards and supporters of a candidate, which resulted in the damaging of a ballot box and the theft of a ballot box in Angoram, which was later returned.

As of yesterday, polling has been completed in some areas of the province while other are yet to be completed.

They include:

Wewak Open – 20 teams out of 29 have completed polling

That is the confirmation from Provincial Election Manager Kila Ralai.

However, he said the provincial capital, Wewak, will also be the host venue for the counting of ballot papers for the East Sepik Provincial seat.

Ralai is optimistic polling in the province will be completed within the gazetted 14 days, which ends on Saturday, 8 July. 

He commended the voting population for cooperating with polling officials in the first week of polling.

The Media Centre will be responsible for releasing all validated information during polling and counting.  

Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato who launched the media centre, said the centre will be a vital platform for informing the public.

Information uploaded from the media centre onto its website will come from the Presiding Officers during polling and Returning Officers during counting.