29 Jun 2012

Namah polling complaint dismissed by rival PNG candidate

11:45 am on 29 June 2012

A candidate standing against Papua New Guinea's caretaker deputy prime minister, Belden Namah, has dismissed his complaints about the electoral roll.

Mr Namah has criticised the caretaker Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and the Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen over the poor state of the roll with many names missing.

Mr Namah says they should have listened to his call for a deferral of elections in order to properly prepare for polling.

The Green Party's Dorothy Tekwie says if anyone should complain, it's her and other candidates standing against Mr Namah in Vanimo Green.

"Belden Namah actually is complaining because the people that he has paid, or bought, that he has given money to are not able to vote because they basically are people who are looking for money and are not on the common roll and he should have done his homework to check that they are on the common roll before he gave them the money."

Dorothy Tekwie says while there are issues with delays and voters being unable to vote, overall polling has been satisfactory.