The public has expressed outrage on social media following the upload of a particular team from the Electoral Roll Display and Verification Exercise carried out by the PNG Electoral Commission in Port Moresby on the evening of Wednesday, May 20th.
PNG HAUSBUNG reached out to the PNG Electoral Commission to get clarity on the content of this video which shows a unanimous man arguing with the electoral officials on site as to why they are conducting this exercise in the night.
According to the Assistant Election Manager Alfred Laho, the team leaders are given strict instructions and also guidelines to follow.
While all the other teams in the North-East and North-West electorates are complying to the instructions, this one particular team, especially the team leader decided, by himself to allow the exercise to continue into the night.
“For this particular team leader, we will deal with him administratively,” said Mr. Laho.
“We are trying to identify which laws in the election offence to charge him.”
“We are also trying to set some precedents to arrest and charge electoral officers who misconduct by not following our instructions to carry their task in the field.”
An agitated Election Manager, Mr. Roney Hawengao told PNG HAUSBUNG that the team leader’s actions were completely out of compliance with the standards the PNG Electoral Commission is establishing for the roll display and verification process.
“I just want to make it clear that what happened that evening is not from us, the PNG Electoral Commission,” said Mr. Hawengao.
“This team leader knows very well the operating time for this exercise, and the exercise stops at 4pm and not beyond that.”
He added that his decision and action to work into the night is a decision from himself, and they are not sure what was his intention to do what he did, as the instructions were straight and clear that 4:00PM sharp is the finishing time for all sites.
Mr. Hewangao, further stated that they have reported the matter to the police to also make arrest the person in the video, who threatened the officials and kept on saying stuff which is not true.
“What the person was saying in the video is misleading and not true.”
“The person that posted this video has to come forward and apologize for circulating falls information to tarnish the work we are doing.”
“Such misinformation can have a negative impact on the bigger things we are trying to do, and that is the Electoral roll update which is scheduled to start in mid-June to July of this year and might extend to August.”
“This is the most important part of the exercise.”
“But here we are, just doing the roll display and verification for people to come and see and check against your names, if some details are not correct.”
“We want to collect and register your correct details, so that we capture correct stats.”
“What we are doing also now with this exercise is to gain back the confidence of the people in NCD, particularly, the voters.”
“That is why, I made myself clear during our briefings to adhere and comply with the time.”
“If they don’t follow, they will face the full consequences. This will only set the precedence that we are serious to delivering results,” Mr. Hawengao concluded.
Currently, 15 teams from Moresby North-west and another 15 from the North-East are rolling out the Roll Display and Verification Exercise.
The exercise for Moresby South will be conducted after North-East and West complete, while Motu-Koita has recently and successfully completed their Roll Display and Verification exercise.
