Polling going well

By JOHNNY POIYA

THE LLG polling in the Chimbu Province has gone smoothly and is expected to be completed by Today.
Chimbu Provincial Election manager Steven Gore Kaupa reported that polling in the remote Karamui LLG, however. is accessible only by air, and therefore would be delayed due to lack of funds to charter an aircraft.
Polling in the province started on Tuesday with Kundiawa and parts of Waiye LLGs covered. It continued in Salt, Digne, Waiye and Yongomulg LLGs on Wednesday.  On Friday, East and West Elimbari, Tabari, Nomane, Kumai Bomai, Kup and Nilgande LLGs were covered.
Mr Kaupa said the 19 LLGs accessible by road were expected to be completed by the end of the week and counting will begin on Tuesday.
 

For the first time in the LLG’s history, Mr Kaupa has instructed the Returning Officer to engage local Karamui people to conduct polling and not outsiders who would influence results.
He said counting for all LLGs would be counted in their respective district headquarters except for Karamui, Salt, Nomane, Kundiawa and Sinesine Yongomulg which would be conducted in Kundiawa.
 

“There’s no boycott over allowances. Our policemen are out in strength covering the whole province during the polling period. There were no major incidents. Nothing arose that was not manageable,” he said.
A total of 3650 candidates, 22 of them women, contested in the elections. Six of the women went for the presidential seats against 751 men while 18 challenged 2781 males in the ward councils.
Mr Kaupa said: “So far so good. We’re going on schedule and expect to complete everything on time and peacefully.”