MEDIA STATEMENT
ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER, ANDREW TRAWEN, CMG, MBE, WILL FORMALLY ADVICE THE GOVERNOR GENERAL TO EXTEND POLLING FOR EASTERN HIGHLANDS AND CHIMBU PROVINCES
Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen CMG, MBE, will officially be advising the Governor General to formally extend polling for the populous provinces of Eastern Highlands and Chimbu.
They are the only two Highlands provinces that have not yet gone to the polls awaiting completion of other regional electorates there.
Mr Trawen during his daily media briefing today singled out the two provinces saying they were likely to commence voting on either July 7th or 8th next week (Chimbu) and July 11th or 12th for Eastern Highlands.
“These are tentative dates only and I will be seeking advice prior to declaring the new dates and advising the Governor General on affirmation of legal advice,” Mr Trawen said.
Nr Trawen said polling was being wound up in most Highlands electorates with the exception of the more remote areas and others that had not yet commenced due to logistical reasons.
In Southern Highlands a couple of ballot boxes have been identified and held on Mr Trawen’s instructions following a brief from provincial electoral officers at the Nipa-Kutubu electorate.
Mr Trawen said legal advice will be sought for a determination on whether or not to allow them for counting.
In Hela counting is still progressing quietly.
Polling in the new Province of Jiwaka is about completed and counting is expected to commence over the weekend or Monday next week.
In the New Guinea Islands region polling has been completed and ballot boxes transported into the main provincial headquarters for counting which could possibly commence late this week, over the weekend or on Monday morning.
The exception though are the Bougainville Atolls communities that could commence polling late this week or during the weekend and in time for counting on Monday next week.
Counting for West New Britain and New Ireland could commence on Friday while East New Britain has confirmed counting to begin on Monday.
In Manus which was likely the first province to declare the first 2012 winning candidate as usual, counting is well underway and may end before the end of the week.
In the Momase region counting for Madang may start over the weekend while in East Sepik only one of the 222 polling teams have completed and brought in their ballot boxes with the exception of one team which should complete polling before nightfall today.
Completion of voting in the Vanimo-Green electorate is yet to be confirmed but with the exception of the border post of Yapsie which is yet to commence due to logistical problems.
Voting in Milne Bay in the Southern region has been completed with the exception of far-flung community of Rossell and Sudest Islands where extreme rough seas and bad weather has prevented polling teams from going there.
A PNGDF patrol boat will be dispatching a team over there during the weekend to conduct the elections.
Counting in Central Province is scheduled for Monday while counting is expected to commence for Northern Province over the weekend.
Airlifting of ballot boxes by fixed wing aircraft to Kiunga in Western Provinces is expected to be completed over the weekend counting expected to start next week.
Ends.
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
ANDREW S. TRAWEN, CMG, MBE
ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER
Wednesday 04 July, 2012
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