ELECTION 2012 MEDIA BRIEFING

ELECTION 2012 MEDIA BRIEFING

Firstly, I want to announce this afternoon that His Excellency the Governor General Sir Michael Ogio would have sign the extension of time for polling in seven (7) provinces.

These provinces include Chimbu, Eastern Highalnds, Gulf, Western, Milne Bay, Madang and Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The extension of time was granted under Section 177(1) (c) of the Organic Law on National and Local-level Government Elections upon my advice to His Excellency.

Polling has been extended under this provision of the Organic Law on Elections upon the existence of special circumstances; in this case bad weather conditions, remoteness and logistics.

As a result there were delays in the distribution of polling materials and late deployment of polling teams to polling places as well as movement of security personnel from province to province (especially in the Highlands).

Provinces and electorates that have been granted extension of polling time are as follows:

All electorates in Chimb Province

Polling will commence tomorrow (Saturday) from 7-10 July and if necessary 11 July

All electorates in Eastern Highlands Province

From 11-16 July and if necessary 17 July.

All electorates in Gulf, Western and Milne Bay provinces

From 9-12 July and if necessary 13 July.

North Bougainville Open electorate (Atolls)

From 6-12 July and if necessary 13 July.

Middle Ramu and Usino-Bundi Open electorates in Madang

Extended to tomorrow 7 July and if necessary 8 July.

Counting will commence upon completion of polling in these areas.

Update on counting throughout the country…

In Southern Highlands, the dispute over the 26 ballot boxes for Ialibu-Pangia Open electorate has been resolved and counting in continuing.

As such no declaration has been made as yet as widely speculated and reported in the media.

With regards to petitions that have been filed to my office on allegations of ballot box tampering and illegal activities during the elections, I have instructed my lawyers to fast track them and advise me on appropriate course of action(s).

But I want to inform candidates to resolve these matters with your respective Electorate Returning Officers and Elections Managers in the provinces.

I also want to let my Returning Officers and Election Managers know that you have the vested powers to make decisions quickly on issues such as counting venues, administrative issues and ballot boxes to avoid unnecessary delays in counting of votes.

Now, I want to re-emphasize my pre-election warnings on illegal activities during the election process.

I am disappointed that despite my warnings these illegal activities are still occurring as reported in the media in the past days and weeks.

Treating, bribery and undue influence are all ILLEGAL acts and are electoral offences under the Criminal Code Section 98-116.

TREATING  is when any person before, during or after the elections corruptly provides or corruptly pays in whole or part the expenses of providing any food, drink or lodging to or for any person on account of any person to do an act or not to do an act as an elector.

PENALTY for Treating is a fine not exceeding K400 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year.

BRIBERY is when:             1. Any person who gives confers or procures promises or offers to give any money, property, benefit of any kind to an elector to vote in a certain way, to do certain things during elections.

2.        Any person who is an elector asks, receives, or obtains any money, or agrees to receive or attempts to receive any money, property or benefit for himself/herself or for any person so that he or they vote in a certain way.

3.        Any person who is not an elector but asks, receives, or attempts to receive any money, property or benefit for himself/herself or for any other person with a promise that he/she or other persons will ensure a particular person is elected.

Any person who provides funding to any person with the intention that such funding will be used for the purposes set out above in 1, 2, and 3 is guilty of a misdemeanour.

4.      Any person who corruptly pays money or property to      any person to enable him/her to be registered as an elector and so influencing him to vote that person.

PENALTY for Bribery is a fine not exceeding K400 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year.

UNDUE INFLUENCE          is another electoral offence which you candidates must be fully aware of and it occurs when a person who issues threats of force or restraint against any elector or by fraud prevents or obstructs a voter in order to induce him to vote or refrain from voting.

PENALTY for Undue Influence is a fine not exceeding K400 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year.

Remember that as at the date of conviction: A convicted person is incapable for a period of three (3) years to vote and to stand for Parliamentary Elections and is incapable for two (2) years to hold any Local Level Government office.

APPROVED FOR RELEASE

ANDREW S. TRAWEN, CMG, MBE

ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER

Friday 06 July, 2012