More questions around polling in PNG's Central Province

7:36 pm on 26 June 2017

There are more questions around polling in Papua New Guinea's Central Province.

Kwikila, Central Province

Kwikila, Central Province Photo: RNZI/johnny Blades

Since some districts in Central began polling on Saturday, various candidates have complained about marked ballot papers.

Polling was also not commencing as scheduled in some polling places, according to election observers touring the province.

There is a concern too about the security of ballot boxes in the Central Province town of Kwikila.

There was a power blackout in Kwikila on Sunday which lasted into the night and one candidate questioned whether the boxes were secure at the local police station when it had no lighting.

Last week, local police admitted they had been under-resourced and without allowances for a prolonged period, but were still expected to play a key security role during the election.

Polling is scheduled for two weeks, but can be extended if some polling places are late to open.