Group blocks recount
By JAMES GUMUNO and ZACHERY PAR - The National
A GROUP of people is blocking the moving of ballot boxes out of a police station for the recount of the Chimbu regional seat,as ordered by the National Court last month.
The seat was won by Michael Dua in last year’s general election with 79,839 votes, beating former governor Noah Kool who polled 68,768.
Simbu police commander Superintendent Jacob Singura told The National yesterday that since Monday, the group claiming to be supporters of Dua, had been camping in front of the police station, stopping police and Electoral Commission officials from moving the ballot boxes out.
The National Court in Waigani last month had ordered the Electoral Commission to recount the votes for that seat after finding evidence of illegal practices and errors or omissions at counting venues during the 2017 general election. Kool filed the election petition.
Justice Colin Makail ordered the Electoral Commission to complete a recount of the votes by or before February 7, 2019.
He also ordered that the recount be held at a venue to be fixed by the returning officers from outside Chimbu, not previously engaged in that regional seat polling.
On Monday, the Electoral Commission lawyer and officials, after it was decided that the recount be held in Lae, went to the Kundiawa police station with police officers to transport the ballot boxes to Lae. But they were stopped by the group.
Singura said the group wanted the recount done in Chimbu.
The commission officials and their lawyer have returned to Port Moresby.
On Tuesday, the group presented a petition to Reverend Tom Seine, the election manager in Chimbu, asking that the commission conduct the recount in Kundiawa.
“We are waiting for the Electoral Commission to get back to us,” Singura said.
Singura said the group was still camped outside the police station and keeping watch over the ballot boxes.
He said the situation in Kundiawa town was tense.
It was being monitored by local police supported by members of the Mobile Squad from Mt Hagen.
Dua remains the governor of Chimbu until the completion of the recount process and the presentation of the result to the court in February.
Original post on this link: https://www.thenational.com.pg/group-blocks-recount/
A GROUP of people is blocking the moving of ballot boxes out of a police station for the recount of the Chimbu regional seat,as ordered by the National Court last month.
The seat was won by Michael Dua in last year’s general election with 79,839 votes, beating former governor Noah Kool who polled 68,768.
Simbu police commander Superintendent Jacob Singura told The National yesterday that since Monday, the group claiming to be supporters of Dua, had been camping in front of the police station, stopping police and Electoral Commission officials from moving the ballot boxes out.
The National Court in Waigani last month had ordered the Electoral Commission to recount the votes for that seat after finding evidence of illegal practices and errors or omissions at counting venues during the 2017 general election. Kool filed the election petition.
Justice Colin Makail ordered the Electoral Commission to complete a recount of the votes by or before February 7, 2019.
He also ordered that the recount be held at a venue to be fixed by the returning officers from outside Chimbu, not previously engaged in that regional seat polling.
On Monday, the Electoral Commission lawyer and officials, after it was decided that the recount be held in Lae, went to the Kundiawa police station with police officers to transport the ballot boxes to Lae. But they were stopped by the group.
Singura said the group wanted the recount done in Chimbu.
The commission officials and their lawyer have returned to Port Moresby.
On Tuesday, the group presented a petition to Reverend Tom Seine, the election manager in Chimbu, asking that the commission conduct the recount in Kundiawa.
“We are waiting for the Electoral Commission to get back to us,” Singura said.
Singura said the group was still camped outside the police station and keeping watch over the ballot boxes.
He said the situation in Kundiawa town was tense.
It was being monitored by local police supported by members of the Mobile Squad from Mt Hagen.
Dua remains the governor of Chimbu until the completion of the recount process and the presentation of the result to the court in February.
Original post on this link: https://www.thenational.com.pg/group-blocks-recount/
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