Dei by-election ready for polling on January 19

Preparations are now in the final stages for polling in the Dei District by-election in Western Highlands Province, scheduled for Monday, January 19.

The Election Manager and Dei By-Election Returning Officer, Philip Telape, says the district has 51 wards, with a total of 59 polling teams ready to be deployed across the electorate.

Mr Telape explained that the additional polling teams will be assigned to areas with more than one polling booth. This is to improve safety and allow voters in conflict-prone areas to cast their votes smoothly on polling day.

Four wards in the Mala/Kinjibi, Kotna and Muglamp Local Level Governments will have their ballot boxes and ballot papers transported by air. Mr Telape said this is for security reasons, as these areas are considered high-risk.

Polling is expected to be completed within one day, depending on how quickly ballot boxes are returned to the counting centre.

Meanwhile, ballot box hijacking remains a key concern for the Electoral Commission. Mr Telape has appealed to the 25 candidates contesting the by-election to remind their supporters to allow a peaceful voting process, just as they did during the campaign period.

Security during polling will be provided by the police, with support from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.

Earlier this week, a workshop for the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers was held in Mount Hagen. Training for presiding officers and assistant presiding officers is now underway.

Counting will begin immediately after polling at the Kimininga Regional Police Barracks and is expected to take about 14 days.