Papua New Guinea’s Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says he will seek a further extension from the Governor-General for the return of writ for Southern Highlands provincial seat which has faced protracted delays in counting.

He said any discussions and talks of “failing” an election and calling for a supplementary or a byelection was not on his table and would not happen as the costs of running elections had escalated and were expensive.

Sinai said he would be writing to the Governor-General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae, today requesting an extension for for Southern Highlands and other remaining electorates that were still being counted.

The last extension for the return of writs from July 29 to August 12 expired today.

The commissioner called on all Southern Highlanders to cooperate and allow the electoral process to continue without interference and delays to the counting as for the past couple of weeks.

“I am calling on all Southern Highlanders, especially those in Mendi, to observe and respect the rule of law and let the electoral process continue without interruptions,” he said.

Sinai said the commission would be seeking more police reinforcements for Southern Highlands to beef up security on the ground and ensure that counting was completed and the result delivered.

The commissioner expressed concern over a public perception people had about Southern Highlands as a “place of trouble”. He urged local leaders and supporters to put politics aside and think about building and protecting the image of the province.

“The democratic process that we have adopted is not about physical fight, but it is a fight through the ballot papers and whoever scores well during the scrutiny and counting process wins,” he said.

“It’s a game — one has to win and one has to lose. If you are aggrieved by the outcome, you can always seek an intervention of the court.”

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General, Sir Bob Dadae, today accepted Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai’s recommendation to extend the date for the 2022 general election Return of Writs by two weeks.

The new date is August 12.

With three days remaining before the initial gazetted date of July 29, counting for more than half of the seats in the 118-seat Parliament is yet to be completed.

The Office of the Governor-General issued a statement on the announcement this afternoon after a closed door deliberation.

“It would be impossible to complete all counting by Friday so I accept the extension by 14 days to 12th of August, 2022 at 4pm,” Sir Bob said.

“The extension will save time and resources and we avoid a failed election which will be costly to if we were to start all over again.”

The Electoral Commission has advised counting officials throughout the country to work in 24-hours shifts to complete counting.

Sinai informed the Governor-General of the circumstances that led to the decision which he said were based on:

• Financial constraints;
• The untimely death of Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil which had delayed the elections by a week;
• Logistic problems; and
• Election officials not turning up on time at their designated areas which had slowed the process.

According to Sinai, “special circumstances” warranted the extension of the Return of Writs and he has assured that the extension was within “the fifth anniversary of the day fixed for the return of writs for the previous general election… The extension of time seeks to avoid a failed election and is also intended to provide time to allow all the writs to be returned accordingly.”

The extension now means the initial date for Parliament to sit — August 4 — will now be moved to a later date pending the return of writs.

Republished by arrangement with Inside PNG.

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The headline of this editorial, we believe, expresses what every eligible voter, business house and candidate in the nation’s capital feels towards the Electoral Commission of PNG.

To make a decision like this, the deferral of polling, at the very last minute on the day when this important event is to take place is absurd. it’s costly and creates an impression that our electoral process is dysfunctional in the eyes our citizens and the international community.

The explanation by the Election Manager for NCD (National Capital District), Kila Ralai, citing interference from candidates and their scrutineers on the deferral is very weak and doesn’t hold water.

He was quoted as saying: “Unfortunately in that process there was interference, by the candidates and the scrutineers who came to over-rule the administration of the electoral process, that has prolonged the election operations.”

However, he goes on further and says: “We need to maintain our integrity, we need to maintain that integrity and the efficient process of the elections, so that we can deliver the elections to our voters.

“It is not good that we will push when the systems are not in place when the process is not prepared, we need to have all these before we conduct elections for NCD.”

Our question is: So what systems are not in place and whose job is it to prepare so that the integrity of the election is maintained?

The excuse made for the initial deferral from July 4-6 and now from 6th to maybe 8th of July is completely unacceptable.

And we endorse the sentiments of NCD Governor Powes Parkop and many other candidates who said: “Securing counting venues and preparing polling officials, ballot boxes and ballot papers are basic outcomes that the Chief Electoral Commissioner and his staff should have sorted out well before the 4th or 6th of July.

“These are basic issues they ought to have templates and be experts in these areas by now.

This basic failure shows the highest level of incompetency and someone should be brought to account for this level of incompetency which is bordering on stupidity.”

This basic failure shows poor level of leadership, poor planning and total incompetency on the part of Chief Electoral Commissioner and his officers.

They ought to hang their heads in shame!

For our capital city to be continuously subjected to such basic problems is totally unacceptable! It reflects badly on the Electoral Commission, our capital city and our country.

The Electoral Commission had four years and then a number of weeks due to deferral of the Issue of Writs and then two more days and they are still unprepared.

PNG Post-Courier. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua New Guinea went to the polls yesterday to begin electing the 11th national Parliament only to find out that there were names missing on the common roll while some polling stations were short of ballot papers around the country.

The distribution of ballot papers and the common roll update has been an issue over the past few months with the Electoral Commission continuing to provide assurance. But this was not the case yesterday.

In Lae, former four-term Lae MP Bart Philemon was turned away at his Butibam village polling booth because his name was not on the common roll.

Stefan Armbruster reports from Tari on the opening day of the PNG election.
Video: SBS News

“If this can happen in an urban village in Lae city, how can we be sure if people living in the vast remote areas around the country are casting their votes?,” he asked.

“Are they or will they exercise their fundamental democratic right which comes only after 5-years?”

Reports from other centres around the country included East New Britain, Central, Northern, Hela and Morobe provinces also facing the same issues yesterday.

Several locations in Central Province, voters had to argue with polling officials because their names were not on the common roll and these were the voters who had voted in the 2017 general election.

Central provincial police commander Superintendent John Midi confirmed that several commotions between voters and election officers had been reported at various locations in Hiri Koiari electorate.

Voting is underway in #PNG. @StefArmbruster is on the ground – covering his 3rd lot of elections. Bringing context & insight https://t.co/AKuXNW0OPK @GAIGriffith @SBSNews

— Dr Tess Newton Cain (@CainTess) July 4, 2022

‘Explain for peace’
“It is to due to ballot papers and voters which only the PNG Electoral Commission officials assigned to these areas have the powers to explain for peace among people during polling,” Superintendent Midi said.

Meanwhile, Philemon said the Electoral Commission had five years to update the common roll and to ensure that all eligible citizens were listed but it had failed the people of this country.

“I fail to understand the Electoral Commission failing its primary responsibility to update the roll,” he said.

The former MP said the Electoral Commission cannot in uncertain terms deny the fundamental democratic rights of its citizens to elect their leaders which falls every five years.

Philemon said the incompetency of public servants in the government workforce was a contributing factor not only to elections but other issues affecting health, education, transport infrastructure, law and order as well.

Frank Rai is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Voters will elect 118 members of parliament, including governors of the 22 provinces, from the 3,600-plus candidates nominated. https://t.co/9KrQ6tqIlF

— RNZ Pacific (@RNZPacific) July 4, 2022

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The impartiality of officials who have been appointed to manage polling in the National Capital District during the Papua New Guinea general election next month has been questioned.

In a first of its kind meeting in Port Moresby yesterday, candidates, police and the election manager convened at the Sir John Guise stadium where issues such as impartiality, vote rigging, common roll and security were the biggest concerns.

The meeting comes on the back of the appointment of all Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) by the PNG Electoral Commission to conduct the national elections.

The list of appointees will be published by the Post-Courier tomorrow for readers’ information and comment.

Former Moresby North-west MP and now NCD regional candidate Michael Malabag, who was Health Minister in the outgoing government, questioned the appointment of five AROs who are engaged with the National Capital District Commission, claiming that this may influence the election process.

In response, NCD Election Manager Kila Ralai said the officials were public servants attached with the NCDC and that there was no intention to compromise the integrity of the election process.

“We have 16 AROs for NCD’s three open electorates and we have two APROs and that makes it 18 and out of those 18 AROs we have only five staff from NCDC as part of AROs to assist in these elections,” he clarified.

A petition is possible
“Because they are public servants in NCDC, likewise, if I was in East Sepik I would also have public servants as AROs.

“So in that process we only considered five out of a couple of applications from NCDC.”

However, Ralai added that if the candidates wished to apply for changes, they could present a petition which he would bring it to the Electoral Commissioner for further deliberation.

He also advised candidates that there would be issues with the common roll which should be ironed out after this election.

Another matter raised by NCD regional candidate Michael Kandiu was the transportation of ballot boxes from the polling stations to the counting venues.

He said there were allegations of foul play in the last two elections.

In this election he demanded transparent operations and better security.

No tinted police vehicles
“I want police to make sure that no ballot box is transported by any tinted police vehicle and it must be transported straight from the polling booth to the counting centre,” he said.

It was resolved that ballot boxes would be transported on open back vehicles straight from polling sites to counting venues.

The former Secretary for Department of Community Development and Religion, Anna Bais, who is contesting the Moresby Northwest Open, asked about the installment of CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras in all counting sites.

“We want CCTVs so we need to know if CCTVs can be put in here.

While government may say there is no money, we are willing to support,” said Bais.

Her call for CCTV linkages was supported by other candidates who offered to help with funds.

Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu explained that the manpower in the city included 200 recalled reservists and another 150 recently trained reservists who would join the regular police officers along with members of the PNG Defence Force.

Claudia Tally is a PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

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Any deferral of Papua New Guinea’s national general election 2022 will be unconstitutional, warns former Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato.

He said statutory timelines gazetted in the National Gazette for the national elections could not be breached to accommodate a deferral.

“It is important that the 2022 NGE is not deferred. Any idea about deferral will be unconstitutional,” Gamato said in a statement.

“The Head of State must not be misled and asked to [make] unnecessary changes [to] dates for the activities within the electoral cycle.

“Should the Electoral Commission delay the issue of writ by two weeks, where will those two weeks come from?”

“All processes are allocated times by law especially nomination, polling, campaign period, polling and counting.

“The campaign period is eight weeks minimum and 12 weeks maximum including nomination period by law.

Campaign period
“Campaign period cannot be reduced if they want to borrow from the campaign period.

“If they allowed for a buffer at the end of the process [it] is okay but they cannot go past the fifth anniversary of the 10th Parliament (5 years term).”

Gamato said that when the Electoral Commissioner advised the Head of State to approve the dates for the next election event, it was final and they must go by those dates.

He said the Head of State cannot be misled and asked to change the dates of the elections every now and then.

“The national government and the EC had five years to prepare for the elections,” Gamato said.

“We need to manage the electoral budget well and spend according to the phases of electoral activities, with the view to controlling the budget.

“It is a requirement that polling schedules and the roll must be approved by the EC and gazetted in the National Gazette.

Programme strictly adhered to
“It must be strictly adhered to the planned electoral activities such as nominations, polling and counting so that voters are not confused.”

He said the two weeks could not come from the campaign period.

“By law, the campaign period must be held a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 11 weeks including the one week of nomination which brings to 12 weeks, you cannot change that allocated time,” he said.

“The term of the 10th National Parliament ends when the writs for the next election event are returned on or before the fifth anniversary of term.

“No government can conveniently try to extend the election to remain in office or in power after their term expires on the 5th anniversary of their term.’’

“The end of the fifth anniversary is the date the 10th Parliament [that] got sworn in 2017,” he said.

“Observing the statutory timelines are critical, especially when managing a major election event such as this.

“Funding in my view is sufficiently allocated by the national government.

“The EC just [has] to manage and work within the budget.”

The Papua New Guinea general election 2022 runs from Saturday, June 11, to Friday, June 24.

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua New Guinea’s general election will go ahead as planned in June with CCTV (closed circuit television) to monitor counting, says Prime Minister James Marape.

He has announced “several reforms” that will be included in election monitoring this year.

“For purposes of transparency, we will have Transparency International, National Research Institute and civil society representation in the Elections Planning Committee,” he said.

“We will have separate voting queues for men and women to cast their votes without undue influence, as in the past.

“It is the right of voters to make their choice based on their God-given wisdom — not on inducements, bribery, cash, food, wantok system or hype.

“We will have CCTV used for counting to make the elections fair and friendly for all.”

Reports reaching the Post-Courier indicated that Parliament would decide in the last session before the elections for deferral of elections by six months or 12 months in order to accommodate for the new electorates recently set up and approved in the last session of Parliament.

Last session
The last session will be the third week of April.

But the PNG Electoral Commission and the Prime Minister’s Office have brushed aside these reports, saying they were not true.

The commission said the 2022 National General Election was ready to go and that preparations throughout the country, although slow, were on track for the issue of writs on April 28.

Also, the ballot papers for the elections have arrived in Port Moresby over the weekend from Australia.

Australia printed 12 million of the country’s ballot papers at a cost of K10 million (US$2.8 million) to be used in the NGE 2022 as announced by Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai early last month.

The papers are now being guarded by a 24-hour police security operation which has been mounted at a location where the papers are being kept.

The indelible ink to be used during polling will arrive in the country this weekend, an indication that election will go ahead as planned.

PM Marape said there would also be severe penalties imposed on election officials who engage in “improper and illegal conduct” during elections.

The elections are scheduled from June 18.

Gorethy Kenneth is a Post-Courier senior reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Only seven governors out of Papua New Guinea’s 21 provinces and Bougainville attended a meeting in the capital Port Moresby to discuss issues surrounding the covid-19 pandemic crisis and the National General Elections due next year.

However, while Prime Minister James Marape confirmed seven had attended, only four were counted at the event. They were NCD Governor Powes Parkop, Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, Chimbu Governor Michael Dua and Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta.

The meeting on Thursday was held with Health Minister Jelta Wong and Secretary Dr Osbourne Liko to discuss the covid-19 crisis with the vaccine roll out also on the agenda.

At least 10,997 cases have been recorded in Papua New Guinea with 107 deaths and the nation’s health system has been severely stretched. Less than 1 percent of the population of almost 9 million have been vaccinated.

Issues have been raised about the lack of cohesion over covid policy between the national government and provinces.

Discussions were also held with Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai about plans for next year, and how the provinces will prepare for the ballot.

Poor turnout
But, the poor turnout of governors as they face various hardships back in their provinces raised concerns about how aligned the government’s strategy will be implemented.

The Post-Courier spoke to the West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel who said: “I was aware of the meeting but needed to travel back home for launching of several projects.”

He added that he needed to discuss the vaccination roll out with provincial officials as they had received doses just last week.

West Sepik Governor Tony Wouwou told the Post-Courier that he was not even informed that such a meeting was taking place.

Marape said moving forward the provinces would be empowered to “tailor make” their solutions, as the government will not micromanage.

He urged all provinces to provide their own response plan to the government as a uniformed approach is not possible given the unique sets of challenges facing each province.

Thierry Lepani is a PNG Post-Courier reporter.

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Sir Mekere accused them of “whitewashing the rigging and corruption associated with it”.

by the Australian National University and Transparency International. Image: Screenshot/PMC

“The ANU report and the report of TI PNG stand out in stark contrast to the remarks made by some foreign governments and in other observer reports of the 2017 election,” he said.

“While those other observers noted irregularities, mostly with the electoral roll, they failed to expose the widespread abuse, violence, intimidation and rigging that voters experienced.”

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