31 Oct 2002

Grim picture painted of PNG election for Commonwealth audit team

6:02 pm on 31 October 2002

The Community Coalition Against Corruption in Papua New Guinea has told a visiting audit team there was no secrecy in polling, intimidation was rife and the Common Rolls were a mess during this year's election.

It said this resulted in more than twice the number of enrolled voters taking part.

The coalition also says the final figure excluded many registered voters who were turned away at the polling booths.

The Commonwealth Independent Auditors team, headed by former Kiribati president Ieremia Tabai, is currently in the country reviewing the election.

The Coalition chairman, Mike Manning, says double, treble and quadruple voting was clearly a widespread practice in the Highlands.

Mr Manning says no political party or group gained from the attempts at fraud which demonstrated a universal disregard for the voting system.

He says polling officials were even kidnapped and forced to fill out ballot papers.