Morobe province

Ward 1 at Butaweng started off first after Finschhafen Urban Assistant Returning Officer officially declared it open.

ARO Essau Lilibur said polling for the LLG will run for four days.

Since the polling venue was at the Braun Memorial Hospital, Lilibur had to explain to those who turned up that only members of the community will vote; patients will have to go to their respective wards.

“Yupla kominiti insait lo hia yupla gat neim lo rol, yupla ken kam na vout,” he stated.

Box one, from ward 1, Leron-Wantoat, concluded with incumbent MP, Koni Iguan, starting out in front with 521 votes.

Iguan, who is a United Labour Party candidate, is followed by Gengewe Gangik on 247 votes, Maxwell Chiru with 31, Paul Ezekiel with 8 votes and Tom Francis with 5 votes.

Results for count 1 for regional are:

While the Electoral Commission officials had initially set Monday as the polling date, unresolved issues over the 2022 electoral roll saw candidates boycott Saturday's meeting at the district headquarters in Gagidu.

RO Joses reconvened the meeting today, and while the candidates still wanted the 2017 electoral roll to be used this year, they understood that the RO and her officers were bound by the law to ensure the electoral process continues using certified materials.

Connery was charged with ‘interfering with ballot papers/ballot boxes’ under section 191 of the Organic Law on National and Local-level Government Elections 1997.

Police alleged that on Saturday, July 2^nd, Connery travelled to Finschhafen, from Lae, on a speedboat.

Investigator Simon Yandu, in his brief to the Provincial Police Commander, Jacob Singura, said the ARO transported election materials without contacting the security personnel’s zone commander for FISIKA (Finschhafen-Siassi-Kabwum).

Seasoned electoral officer, Esia Batu, was in the May 6^th gazette, with the number G347. His appointment was set from April 30^th to August 31^st.

However, Morobe’s Electoral Commission office found out that the head teacher of Ogeranang Primary School in Burum LLG, Kawage Mesere, was appointed as Finschhafen’s RO, specified in number G466, dated June 9^th.

Endorsed by the Late Sam Basil’s party, the United Labour Party (ULP), Basil Jnr said he voted at his village of Sagayo (Wednesday, July 6^th).

“I just want to make it clear to everyone, especially in Bulolo District that I have been voting for three terms for my father” he stated.

“A lot of people have been going around, saying that I do not have my name in the electoral roll.

“I voted under my own name in Sagayo.

“My dad’s name was also there but no one used it.

BSP Lae Top Town Branch recently commissioned Modu Trading as a BSP Cash Agent in Derim village, as a service that will save people a K100 roundtrip to Kabwum station, Morobe Province for banking transactions.

The people of Derim in Deyamos rural LLG, Kabwum District of Morobe Province would travel two hours on a PMV to the nearest BSP Sub-Branch at Kabwum station just to access basic banking services.

Frustrated Returning Officer, Kusak Meluk, said a large number of citizens could not vote because their names were not on the electoral roll.

Citizens who wished to vote stood in long lines for hours, just to find out that their names were not on the electoral roll. In frustration, they lashed out at polling officials.

A number of venues had to be closed early because of this, with Meluk saying the electoral roll issue has never been rectified.

“We’re going through the same problem,” he stated. “Something has to be done to rectify this electoral roll issue.

The tinted 10-seater was stoned following a misunderstanding between residents there and the NBC crew at the Milfordhaven polling venue.

The NBC team reported that their camera was snatched by some men there, but was returned soon after.

After hearing of the incident, Lae MP and Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso, and his team spoke with NBC and advised all media personnel to make sure they can be clearly identified as media, whether it means to drive around in a marked vehicle or wear their uniforms and ID cards.

Confusion arose around polling venues at Nawaeb Urban when the seal of the ballot box was broken to reveal Lae Open ballot papers.

Nawaeb Urban covers wards 11 to 17 in the Ahi LLG; areas from Malahang, Busu Compound, Limki Market, Speedway, Kamkumung and Igam and Bumayong.

The presiding officer of team 340, based at the Second-Seven field, Sismai Tilim, said they faced the ballot paper issue at 10am today.