Simbu Province has two days polling, which started yesterday, and ended this afternoon.

Karamui-Nomane and Chuave Open seats successfully completed their polling yesterday.

Polling for Simbu was deferred from Monday due to issues with the electoral roll.

Provincial Election Steering Committee Chairman, Joe Kunda, said it took more time because of irregularities with the ballot papers and the electoral roll.

Despite this, Simbu Province saw peaceful and smooth running polling for two days.

Kunda says stamping of the ballot papers took them two days to complete, which saw polling today.

The two electorates which successfully voted yesterday were Chuave and Karamui Nomane Open seats.

Their ballot boxes were dispatched on Monday afternoon, which allowed them to go to the polls yesterday.

The four electorates in Simbu which go to the polls today, are Gumine, Sinesine-Yongomugl, Kundiawa-Gembogl and Kerowagi.

Polling started at 8am today, and ended this afternoon.

All the electorates in Simbu were advised to use the preliminary roll to vote, after encountering issues with the electoral roll update.

On Monday, electoral officials discovered extra ballot papers from the ballot boxes for each electorate in Simbu.

Police have destroyed over 2,000 inflated ballot papers for the Chuave open seat and another thousand more for the five other electorates.

The destroyed papers were higher than the total number of eligible voters.

Security is guaranteed for Jiwaka province as it goes into polls tomorrow.

Polling for Jiwaka is confirmed for tomorrow Friday June 30, 2017.

The Provincial Police Commander for Jiwaka, Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop confirmed that there will be no block voting or any form of disturbances in the polling area, however, people will be given their freedom to cast their vote for their candidates.

Meanwhile, WHP Police who returned from polling in Chimbu are in Jiwaka today to provide security to ensure peaceful elections in the province.

Also, a polling venue in the North Waghi Electorate was changed to the original sites. The newly created polling station at Sigorok Barracks in North Waghi Electorate as a result of merging 9 polling stations has been relocated back to the original sites.

The announcement was made by Provincial Administrator, Mr Michael Wandil today at Banz.

The original polling stations are in Banz LLG and include council wards Bolba 1, Bolba 2, Kapal Ku 1, Kapal Ku 2, Ngumbkora, Talu 1, Talu 2, Kendu 1 and Kendu 2

This comes a month after candidates contesting for North Waghi Open seat protested and petitioned the Electoral Commission regarding the merging of the 9 polling venues.

Ialibu-Pangia Open Electorate is not ready for polling.

This was confirmed by the Southern Highlands Election Manager, David Wakias.

Earlier in the day, candidates contesting the seat in the 2017 National Election had told EMTV News that they had presented their petitions to the Southern Highlands  Election Manager.

The candidates unanimously agreed that certain issues must be properly addressed before polling. An official letter was registered with the SHP Election manager, Mr David Wakias.

They said that the Ialibu-Pangia electorate will not be conducted polling, unless the issues raised in the letter addressed to the Provincial Election Manager are addressed.

This stand has been taken to safeguard and protect the integrity of the election process.

The candidates persist that there will be no polling until all issues raised in the petition are settled.

Hundreds of unhappy people had forced polling officials to stop the polling processes today at the ATS Settlement in Port Moresby’s North East District.

Many disgruntled voters were not not on the common roll.

The voters wanted to know how many ballot papers where brought before they could start voting. But only 516 ballot papers were brought to Ward 9.

“We have at least a thousand eligible voters living here and 516 ballot papers is a laughing stalk,” a youth group leader said.

According to the officials, 482 were provided ballot papers and 34 were extra.

The ballot boxes were already sealed and was received by the Returning Officer under heavy police escort.

Police asked the people of Ward 9 to write a petition to the EC to give them another day to vote.

Meanwhile, another ward in the ATS community also halted polling this morning.

Moresby North East is under immense pressure due to absence of names of eligible voters in the common roll.

Polling for Jiwaka Province has been cancelled today and deferred to a later date.

Polling will begin according to the urgency in stamping of the ballot papers for the 184 wards.

Polling was delayed due to discrepancies with the updated electoral roll given.

People from Jiwaka Province woke up early this morning to cast their votes, however, to their dismay, they were told to go home.

Jiwaka Province had to wait till yesterday to get their preliminary roll to go on with the distribution of ballot papers and polling materials.

So far in the Highlands and other parts of PNG, polling did not go as scheduled by the Electoral Commission.

Polling was delayed due to discrepancies with the electoral roll or issues with eligible voters finding their names missing to vote.

Provincial Election Manager, Rossie Pandihau said stamping of the ballot papers might take time to be completed.

Meanwhile, there was heavy security presence today at Banz Police station in Jiwaka Province.

Provincial Police Commander, Joseph Tondop assured the public that police presence is everywhere and polling will not be affected.

Pandihau said polling for Jiwaka Province might commence tomorrow, and continue to Sunday or will have one day polling on Monday.

This all depends on the stamping of the ballot papers for security measures.

Enga Provincial Election Manager, Anton Iamau said Enga is ready for polling next Tuesday.

He said this despite few confrontations between the supporters of candidates and Returning Officers of few electorates.

Enga Provincial Police Commander, Chief Superintendent, George Kakas said the joint security forces are expecting a peaceful election for Enga.

Election Manager, Mr Iamau said Electoral Officials cannot bow down and listen to candidates and their supporters to defer polling next Tuesday.

“We are an independent body,” said Iamau.

Iamau said this yesterday after he was being confronted with supporters of some candidates from the Kombiam-Ambum electorate.

The candidates and their supporters have petitioned the Electoral Commission in Wabag to change all the presiding officials, the Returning Officer and his Assistant.

They claimed that the appointment of the officials was bias and was in favour of a particular candidate in the Electorate.

The Provincial Police Commander, Kakas, said the police and the joint security forces are managing every situation proactively and on a daily basis.

Kakas is expecting a peaceful election after seeing a peaceful campaigning period in Enga.

“Enga Province has been passive as one of the hotspot areas in the Country, in terms of tribal fight during the election,” Kakas said.

“However, I would like to let the public know that people in Enga have changed and we will have a peaceful and successful election,” said Kakas.

Prime Minister Peter O’Niell is expected to finally cast his vote in his local village, Kauvo in Ialibu Pangia, Southern Highlands tomorrow .

This comes after polling in his district was delayed due to election materials arriving only today.

On Friday, the District was supposed to have gone to the polls. However, that did not happenend.

In a media conference on Friday afternoon, Mr. O’Neill was disappointed the polling was deferred. However, he said he understands challenges the Electoral Commission is facing. But the long wait is now over as preparations for polling are underway in Pangia Station.

Polling for Jiwaka Province started today, with some parts of Jimi electorate voting.

It will continue tomorrow, with North Waghi and Anglimp South Waghi electorates going to the polls.

Polling for Jiwaka was deferred last Friday to today after identifying issues with the updated electoral roll.

Ballot boxes for Jimi open where dispatched from 6 am.

For some areas in Jimi that received their ballot boxes, polling began at around 9am, while others are still waiting.

Provincial Steering Committee Chairman, Michael Wandil, said by tonight or very early tomorrow, the 184 wards in the Province should receive its their ballot boxes and go to the polls.

Polling for Jiwaka Province was deferred last Friday after there were issues encountered with the updated electoral roll.

They received the preliminary roll just last Thursday, which resulted in the delay in the stamping of the ballot papers and cross checking of names.

Scrutineers have remained calm and appreciative of the fact that they are able to observe the pre-counting of the ballot papers.

The stamping and packing of ballot papers by the Steering Committee has taken longer than anticipated, however, everyone remained calm.

There was tight security since last Friday.

Provincial Police Commander, Joseph Tondop, assured the public that there is a strong police presence everywhere, and polling will not be affected.

Western Highlands Tuition Fee Free Coordinator, Tom Noki, is warning schools in the Province to send their quarterly reports on TFF, to his office.

Noki says most of the schools in the province that have submitted their appraisal reports are Elementary and Primary schools.

He urged high schools and secondary schools to send in their reports.

Noki said even though high schools and secondary schools receive the biggest portion of TFF, they would never send back their appraisals.

It has been almost two years since the establishment of the TFF office in Western Highlands Province, and yet, schools are reluctant to send their reports on the use of the TFF money.

So far, Kumbareta High school is the only upper secondary school that has sent their 2016 first and second quarterly reports in.

Others who sent their quarterly reports were mostly elementary, primary schools and church-run schools.

Noki said there is a big need for schools to send in their reports so that there is cooperation on how TFF funding was put into use.

Noki  also praised those schools that were faithful in sending in their reports, despite receiving less funding.

He said the sending of appraisals will help the Education Department to plan properly.

Trouble flared between supporters who are of different tribes and a fight broke out when ballot boxes for 9 traditional polling stations were brought to Kerowil Singirok Barracks, in the North Waghi Electorate.

According to an eyewitness, the trouble escalated when the people learnt they could not vote at the allocated polling places.

The villagers disarmed five police men who were left behind by the police vehicle driver who fled in the vehicle, but later agreed to return the four firearms taken off them. They also torched a Jiwaka regional candidate’s vehicle.

Police then retaliated and burnt down 4 houses belonging to the villagers and a trade store recently stocked up with K5000 worth of store goods was set alight.

When contacted, Timothy Kulame, told EMTV Online the people of Dange Tribe in North Waghi did not want to vote at Kerowil Singirok Barracks because it is situated in the perimeters of the Tsenglap Tribe.

It is understood, there were unresolved fights, and enmity between the clans of the two tribes still festers.

“We had a meeting and briefing with Jiwaka Election Steering Committee, Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers and PPC Tondop about the issues surrounding the fight last time,”

He said Chief Secretary Issac Lupari agreed with the venue change but the venue was not gazetted.

“Basically, the people of the Kapalku 1, Kapalku 2 and Ngumbkora 1 LLGs were told they were going to vote at their own polling places after the EC rescinded its decision to centralise them to Kerowil,” Kulame said.

He said when the ballot boxes arrived; they were all transported to Kerowil Singorok Barracks, but the people demanded they be honoured with the word from EC which was to vote in their traditional polling place.

Meanwhile, most polls in North Waghi have gone well and were completed today.

“Am not voting today,” Timothy Giwi Kulame, an intending candidate for North Waghi Open electorate told EMTV Online this morning (Tuesday 4 July, 2017) as Jiwaka went to polls.

He said, this has been a decision he made last night (Sunday 3 July, 2017) when he found out that 9 polling venues will be converged to a single location, Kerowil Singirok Barracks.

“As a candidate I am boycotting to show my frustration and anger over this unfair decision.”

More than 2,000 voters from the North Waghi Electorate in Jiwaka Province declined to cast their votes yesterday.

Among them were three candidates who refused to vote, while calling for that polling venue to be moved back to the traditional voting area.

Provincial Election Manager, Rossie Pandihau told EMTV News that attempts to encourage people to exercise their right to vote were unsuccessful both yesterday and today.

Lucas Khanjip, a candidate for North Waghi seat from the Tolu One area said he was not able to cast his vote yesterday at the Kerowil Defence Force Barracks.

Khanjip raised concerns that the centralisation of the Polling Venue of 9 Wards have caused problems, with enemy tribes coming together to vote at the central location in Kerowil.

Those three wards which rejected to cast their votes yesterday are Kupalku one and two, and Numkora wards. A vehicle was set alight at Kerowil and several houses burnt down by voters who were not happy with the decision of the Electoral Commission to centralise the polling area.

The same candidates also protested in May this year, for the Electoral Commission to revoke their decision.

Reasons raised were that two of the nine Council wards are warring tribes and six people were recently killed in separate clashes.

Transportation and security of the voters were some of the main reasons behind the candidates’ petition.

The candidates have feared that this election will not be free, fair and safe, and are already expecting the worst.

Enga and Western Highlands are the last two Provinces to go to polling tomorrow.

The one day polling for both provinces was on Tuesday, deferred to Friday, due to the delay in the pre-counting and stamping of ballot boxes.

Meanwhile, Simbu, Hela and Southern Highlands are already counting.

It took almost four days to pre-count the ballot papers for Enga and Western Highlands Province.

Both Provinces started pre-counting on Monday and completed this afternoon, with the insertion of ballot boxes to each electorate in both Provinces.

For Western Highlands Province, Provincial Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Martin Lakari hosted a parade and deployed the Joint Security Forces to their respective areas.

Lakari praised these security forces for completing a successful polling for Chimbu and Jiwaka.

Like other Provinces, Enga and Western Highlands Province had issues with the electoral roll given to them by the Electoral Commission.

Adding to the discrepancies were issues with candidates from the two Provinces petitioning the Electoral Commission to conduct a free, fair, and safe election.

Enga Provincial Police Commander, Chief Superintendent George Kakas, said the joint security forces are handling the issues cautiously on a daily basis and he is hoping to see Enga have peaceful polling.

Western Highlands has 800 polling places.

The Western Highlands Provincial Steering Committee is expecting few or no problems at all in the other three electorates, but they are focusing more on the Hagen Open seat for election-related issues.

One man is dead, two others are severely injured and properties were destroyed and burnt down last night at the Kumdi area of Western Highlands Province.

Provincial Police Commander, Chief Superintendent, Martin Lakari confirmed it was election-related, involving supporters of two candidates standing for the Mul-Baiyer Open.

PPC Lakari said the situation is currently under control, after the response unit was called in to the area.

PPC Lakari told EMTV News that police still need to confirm details of the killing.

The matter is currently under police investigation and a proper statement will be released after the investigation is completed.

Lakari said the information they have on hand, is that a man was killed and houses and animals were set alight at Kumdi in Mul-Baiyer.This is the second election-related killing in the Province.

The first happened in Tambul-Nebilyer electorate where a supporter of a candidate was alleged to have been shot dead by the supporter of a rival candidate at the Tambul station.

Report of this investigation has not been released but the Provincial Police Commander has high hopes for the people to behave during the counting.

Lakari said he is expecting some problems to happen after the declaration.

However, Western Highlands conducted peaceful polling last Friday and Saturday.

There was a roadblock set up at Nebilyer between two factions, preventing other tribes from entering the City.

The Response Unit was called in after being notified.

Three Council Wards in the Mul-Baiyer Electorate, missed out on polling last Friday. These areas have a combined population of 3,000.

Their ballot boxes were hijacked while being transported to the polling area.

Two former parliamentarians, whose supporters did not vote, are appealing to the PNG Electoral Commission to allow them to go for re-polling.

The candidates are former member for Mul-Baiyer Lumusa, Sani Rambi, and former Western Highlands Province Governor, Tom Olga.

While transporting ballot boxes for the Mul Council area from Baiyer River, masked gunmen shot at the vehicle carrying the boxes and hijacked only three boxes for Keleg 1 and 2 wards, and Kelenga ward council, before escaping with the boxes into the bush.

The vehicle carrying the boxes was the leading car with security forces at the tail of a long convoy.

Rambi and Olga have petitioned the Election Manager to go for re-polling, having in mind that the three wards are their base votes.

The former Governor, Tom Olga, said the Electoral Commission needs to give a favourable response, as other Provinces are still polling.

However, Election Manager, Philip Telape, said the polling date for Western Highlands Province ended on July 8th and they cannot go for re-polling.

He said the incident occurred on the morning of July 7 last Friday, and the candidates had enough time to report this matter to the Election Manager’s Office. The news was received on Saturday, a day late.

Rambi and Olga disagreed with the Election Manager’s response, saying the Electoral Commission has issued a Press Release extending polling for the certain areas in the country, to next week.

However, Telape said this was for transportation and geographical issues that will prolong polling in those areas indicated by Electoral Commissioner, Patalias Gamato yesterday.

Some candidates from the Anglimp-South Waghi Electorate in Jiwaka Province have questioned the Electoral Commission’s appointment of their Returning Officer and his assistant.

The Jiwaka Provincial Election Steering Committee has denied recommending EC the names of the RO and ARO.

The candidates petitioned the Electoral Commission to revoke the decision before counting for Jiwaka begins tomorrow.

The Anglimp-South Waghi Candidates said they need an immediate change to the appointment of the Returning Officer, Willie Ropa, and his assistant, Samuel Kewa.

They petitioned the Jiwaka Provincial Election Steering Committee last week to recommend to the Electoral Commission their query.

When petitioning the Steering Committee Chairman, Michael Wandil confirmed the Committee had never received any application or recommendation from the PNGEC for the Returning Officer and his Assistant.

Their concern is for the Electoral Commission to revoke their decision and appoint other officers before Jiwaka goes into counting.

Counting for Jiwaka is set to start today. These candidates say they only came to know about this issue after polling.

They said if it was known, they would have asked for the revocation of their appointment before the polling.

Counting for Western Highlands Province has been deferred to tomorrow morning due to non-payments of the presiding officer’s allowances.

This has affected the returning of ballot boxes for some electorates.

Tambul-Nebilyer Electorate have all their returns.

Dei Electorate returned 75 per cent of the ballot boxes.

Hagen Open have returned most of the boxes, but few are still with some presiding officers.

For Mul-Baiyer Lumusa, Mul Council have returned at least 95 per cent of the boxes, Lumusa returned all the boxes while for Baiyer River, they are yet to be returned.

The Provincial Election Steering Committee are urging supporters of candidates to respect the electoral process during the counting.

A peaceful protest march has been organised today (July 18, 2017) in Banz by all the candidates and the supporters against the decision of the Electoral Commissioner to allow 5 disputed boxes to be counted and leave out the Kendu 1 ballot box.

A female candidate, Mrs Veronica Weiang, spoke with EMTV Online said the counting for North Waghi has been suspended today (18/07 /19) because all scrutineers withdrew from the counting in protest of the Electoral Commissioner Patalias Gamato’s decision.

Weiang said the petition will be handed over to the Electoral Commission officials in Banz.

The placards carried by protesters showed writings like “Gamato, Whose Interest are You Serving?; Burn the Six Boxes Now!; Andrew Kulangie, RO/NW, your incompetency and Indecision Is An Insult to Jiwaka!! Step Down!!; which indicates that the Electoral Commissioner’s decision over the six disputed ballot boxes did not go down well with the supporters, scrutineers and candidates disagree.

The North Waghi candidates have demanded the following:

1. The EC to uphold his decision to disallow the 6 boxes.
2. Sideline the Returning Officer, Andrew Kulangie
3. Decision of the EC Mr Gamato to be communicated to the Candidates and their people within 24 hours.

The Petition has been handed over to Mr Pindipia, Highlands Eastern Regional Manager who is in charge of EHP, Simbu and Jiwaka Elections.

Whilst accepting the petition, Mr Pindipia acknowledged the petition and the candidates’ demands and promise to inform the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Patalius Gamato. He commended the candidates and the people for a peaceful protest.

Mr Pindipia will revert to the candidates with Electoral Commissioner’s response tomorrow.

No violence has been reported during the protests.

Following the declarations, writs for Ialibu-Pangia and Koroba-Lake Kopiago were returned to Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato at the Electoral Commission Head Quarter this morning (24/07/17) in Port Moresby.

Writs for Ialibu-Pangia electorate in the Southern Highlands Province and Koroba-Lake Kopiago in Hela Province were returned to Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato this morning in Port Moresby.

Ialibu-Pangia Returning Officer Michael Ariando returned the writs declaring Peter O’Neill as member elect for Ialibu-Pangia.

While Koroba-Lake Kopiago RO Danny Hongai returned the writs declaring Petrus Thomas as the member -lect for Koroba- Lake Kopiago.

Commissioner Gamato while receiving the writs from the returning officers congratulated Mr O’Neill who was not present and Mr Thomas as members elect for the two electorates.

Mr O’Neill polled 48,714 to win the election race ahead of Stanley Liria who polled 8, 229 maintaining fourth straight consecutive term in parliament.

And for Koroba-Lake Kopiago independent candidate Thomas Petrus polled a total of 17, 505 votes to win the race.

As of this morning about 10 seats have been declared and 3 seats were returned to Commissioner Gamato including these two electorates.

All writs was to be returned to Governor General Bob Badae before 24th July 2017 at the Government House.

More than 10 candidates and their supporters from the North Waghi Open seat, staged a peaceful protest march in Banz town.

Those protesting, gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato, to revoke the appointment of the Returning Officer, and reverse a decision he had made yesterday regarding count 5 out of the 6 ballot boxes which were disputed at Kerowil Defense Barracks in Jiwaka.

Hundreds of supporters and their candidates were carrying placards and chanting as they made their way to Banz Police station, calling on Commissioner Gamato to destroy the 6 disputed ballot boxes.

The disputed ballot boxes were from Bolba 1 and 2, Tolu 1 and 2, Kendu 1 and 2, Kapalku 1 and 2 and Ngumbkora.

The North Waghi candidates alleged that supporters of the sitting MP, Fabian Pok,  rigged the voting process by controlling polling booths and preventing voters of opposing candidates from voting.

They also alleged that polling was illegally held under the residence of military personnel at the Singirok Army Barracks.

An amateur video leaked on social media showed what appears to be the illegal casting of votes. Candidates who took part in the protest also petitioned the Electoral Commissioner in relation to the video.

Mr. Gamato said, that from advice provided to him by the State Solicitor, the amateur video only shows one particular polling booth, which was from Kendu 1, and showed nothing of the other 5 boxes.

Mr. Gamato had ordered the Returning Officer to count the 5 boxes; however, the candidates said the amateur video proves that the other 5 boxes were tampered with, because there was no footage of the ballot boxes at the time the video was taken.

The North-Waghi candidates also blamed the Jiwaka Provincial Steering Committee for changing the polling stations of 9 council wards to a central location at Singorok Defence Force Barracks in Kerowil.

Counting for North-Waghi has been suspended till the candidates receive a favorable response.