Police Commissioner David Manning has warned that he will recommend to the PNG Electoral Commission to declare failed elections for the Enga Province if the violence, death and destruction continues. Commissioner Manning made this remark following an upsurge in lawlessness within the last 72 hours in parts of the Enga Province. Mr Manning said a joint task force comprising of military and police personnel will be established and inserted into the Enga Province at the earliest to restore law and order. The Commissioner also announced that 15 candidates of the various seats within the Enga Province in the 2022 National General Election are currently being investigated for their role in the election related violence. “Someone must be held responsible for the death and destruction in the Enga Province. These candidates, these so-called leaders, were silent when the death and destruction began and have remained silent since. God help us if this is the calibre of the “leadership” that is being put forward for the people of Enga,” said Commissioner Manning who has been in the Highlands region since day one of polling. Mr Manning said, “The situation in Enga Province is very serious and I have grave concerns for the lives of many innocent people there who have become victims of barbaric and animalistic attacks. “I have always maintained that the electoral process must be jointly delivered in partnership with the people. Unfortunately, certain candidates do not think this is the way the elections should be delivered. “Reading through the reports on the situation on the ground it is frustrating and sickening to note that known candidates and their supporters have deliberately attacked opposing candidates and their supporters to influence a favourable outcome. “To think that these candidates are considered to be highly educated and have successful careers, married and have children of their own condone such violent acts by their tribesmen and supporters is sickening. “These so-called elites of the province despite their degrees are nothing but highly educated people with questionable morals. We have a saying in many parts of the country with different versions depending where you are, ‘Mango diwai save karim mango, kapiak save karim kapiak’, a law-abiding upstanding citizen would not allow criminals to act on his/her behalf to better their chances of winning elections, similarly a citizen who resorts and supports illegal means of getting what he/she wants will never solicit the support of law-abiding citizens to carry out their criminal activities. “I have conveyed my concerns to the Prime Minister as well as the Chief of the PNG Defence Force, and we have resolved to establish a separate multi-Taskforce to enforce the rule of law in Enga immediately and to also secure the Porgera mine. “The situation in Enga is no ordinary law and order situation. Whilst many of the violent incidents are attributed to the elections there are sectors of the local communities in Enga that continue to engage in violent criminal activities pre-dating the elections and will continue throughout the election period and beyond. “It will be the Joint Task Force's primary objective to enforce the Rule of Law and respond appropriately where necessary to these individuals and/or groups. “Candidates who have employed the services of these criminals or have supported these activities will be apprehended and face the criminal justice system. “We are aware of at least 15 of these candidates who stood for elections in a number of electorates in Enga, and our Investigative Task Force (ITF) is compiling reports and statements at this time. “This will allow for search warrants to be applied for on their persons, known associates, financial assets, and material property and if need be, arrest warrants. “We are not time bound by the elections. If these candidates think that we are, then they are sadly misinformed. We plan to have this Taskforce deployed in stages over the coming days.” Updates from various parts of the Enga province over the last 72 hours shows an unprecedented level of violence, death and destruction of private and public property. In the Kompiam-Ambum electorate, four bridges on the Wabag-Kompiam road were destroyed. Government installations including schools were also destroyed. There are also unconfirmed reports of widespread killings. There is confirmed destruction of village homes and livestock and continuous tribal fighting between rival candidates. For the election, despite efforts of the Joint Security Task Force (JSTF) Air Ops only a limited number of boxes were able to be collected from Kompiam and extracted to Hagen. All other boxes for the electorate that were extracted by road are currently being stored at the main storage containers in Wabag town. The Kompiam Returning Officer and his officials were on hand and were involved in assisting the extraction of the boxes from Kompiam and delivered to Hagen. All other remaining boxes not extracted will be left to the Returning Officer and Electoral Manager to decide as to what options to take. In the Laiagam electorate a major national road was destroyed. Culverts were destroyed, trenches three-meter wide and six-meter-deep were dug on the Surunki Section of the Wabag-Porgera Road. There were sporadic attacks on government security forces throughout the polling period and continuous tribal fighting between rival candidates. There were also unconfirmed reports of killings. The road from Porgera via Wabag has been cut off. Certain boxes were unable to be inserted into designated polling areas in Laiagam during the polling period due to rival candidates clashing in those areas. The Returning Officer and the Provincial Election Manager will make representation to the PNGEC as to what can be done. All remaining polled boxes were retrieved and have been securely stored in Wabag. In Porgera there was destruction of schools and teachers’ homes, shops and various other buildings in and around Paiam Station. Tribal clashes continue between rival candidates. Unconfirmed reports of killings. Enga Provincial Police Commander Acting Superintendent George Kakas led a team by road through Southern Highlands to Porgera to extract polled Ballot Boxes. The Ballot Boxes for Paiyela were unpolled and were also retrieved and brought back to Wabag. In the Wabag electorate, all boxes that were in Maramuni were safely extracted and are securely stored in Hagen after the use of Wapenamanda Airport was discontinued. Issues relating to the threat and risk assessment of counting has been assessed and recommendations for the counting of votes of specific electorates from Enga has been relayed to the Enga Provincial Election Steering Committee and the PNG Electoral Commissioner. The key recommendation is to count these two electorates outside of the Enga Province. Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner said in light of an increased threat and risk assessment on counting centres in the highlands and parts of the coastal region, the Joint Security Task Force for the 2022 National General Election has advised the PNG Electoral Commissioner, Mr Simon Sinai, to conduct counting as soon as security personnel are on the ground. “To proceed to count without the presence of adequate security personnel will be at the risk of the Electoral Commissioner and his officers,” Mr Manning said.

Thirteen suspects were arrested and charged for being in possession of an offensive weapon, an industrial catapult made from steel capable of projecting metal ballistic arrows, and police uniforms (field gear) at Koare village in the Southern Highlands Province last week. Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Police Operations Mr Anton Billie confirmed that one female was among the 12 male suspects involved in the incident. He said the police reports confirmed that the suspects were travelling in a Toyota Land Cruiser, Trooper, white in color bearing registration number BEJ 331 when arrested. Members of the Quick Response Force (QRF) for the 2022 National General Election Joint Security Task Force stopped and searched the vehicle and its passengers and discovered the weapon and the field gears. Mr Billie said the uniforms are believed to have been issued to a police officer who is based at the Waigani Police Station in the National Capital district. The police officer will be brought in for questioning Mr Billie said.

Counting for the two seats of the Manus province began on Friday and continued over the weekend without any major incidents, says Manus Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector Kiweri Kesambi. “I am relieved that our polling was completed in time and we are now going into vote counting with no election related violence so far,” said PPC Kesambi. He urged the people of Manus to continue maintaining the good behavior until the return of writs. Polling for Manus Province ended on Thursday 14 July 2022 when the ballot boxes from the three remaining Local Level Governments (LLGs) were brought into Lorengau and locked away in the Manus Provincial Police Headquarters. Counting began on Friday, continues today and is expected to take up this week. Mr Kesambi said the last three LLGs, Aua Vuvulu, Nigoherm and Bisakani, are all rural LLGs. He said the ballot boxes for Nigoherm and Aua Vuvulu along with the polling officials and the security personnel were transported by the navy ship HMPNGS Ted Diro and arrived at the Lombrum Naval Base at 5.30am on Thursday. They were received by election officials and members of the security forces escorted the ballot boxes to the Police Headquarters. Meanwhile Bisakani LLG brought their ballot boxes into Lorengau Town by smaller boats with the escort of the security forces.

Prime Minister James Marape had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji Voreqe Josaia Bainimarama on the margins of the 51st Pacific Islands Forum in Suva, Fiji. PM Bainimarama thanked PM Marape for making time to attend the PIF saying it showed his commitment and cause to the wider regional family. PM Bainimarama also congratulated PM Marape on his re-election as the Member for Tari-Pori in this year’s PNG National General Elections. PM Bainimarama congratulated PM Marape for successfully handing over the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Chair to Vanuatu. He reiterated what he mentioned in the Special MSG Leaders’ Summit that sub-regional arrangements like the MSG Free Trade Agreement could assist in strengthening economic recovery efforts. PM Marape conveyed his appreciation to PM Bainimarama for hosting him and his delegation for this 51st PIF. He reassured PM Bainimarama of his full support in the face of several challenges to the region, including climate change. PM Marape maintained that the bilateral relations between PNG and Fiji extended from a long and rich history. He commented that there was a noted growing amount of PNG investments in Fiji and looked forward to seeing this part of the bilateral relationship grow. In reference to the Suva Agreement, PM Marape raised his concern at the withdrawal of Kiribati from the PIF and enquired as to the number of members that have signed on to the agreement. PM Bainimarama informed that most Forum Leaders had signed onto the Suva Agreement except for PNG, Kiribati and Nauru. Nauru had requested to sign the document last, given the spread of COVID-19 pandemic on the island and the lock-uo in place. He said the Suva Agreement would address the political impasse currently between the Forum Leaders and the Micronesian Member States. In this regard, PM Marape re-affirmed to regional solidarity, assured PM Bainimarama of PNG’s support and signed the Suva Agreement in the meeting.

Appreciating farming as a sustainable and viable business practice is the message from PNG Agriculture Company’s PNG Agbook who are partners with the UNCDF in the EU Funded Joint STREIT PNG Programme. PNG Agbook working with the PNG Cocoa Board, organized two sets of trainings for rural farmers in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. A total of 23 farmers who represented farmer groups and agribusinesses in the Sandaun and East Sepik provinces were eager participants in the trainings conducted recently over a two-week period at the PNG Cocoa Board nursery site in Hawain, Wewak District, East Sepik Province. Facilitating the sessions was owner and Managing Director of PNG Agbook Company, Ms Nicole Isifu, a committed young woman inspired to challenge existing farming practices and to drive an increase in more active youth participation in agriculture – as entrepreneurs rather than as part-timers and labourers. The first module was on ‘financial literacy’ while the second session focused on ‘farming as a business’. Two participants manual booklets with simple instructions on topics covered in the sessions were also given to participants to take home and read at their own time. Farming as a Business Manual contains topics like Basics of Money, Financial Fitness, Savings, Budgeting and Borrowing. While the Farm Business Plan booklet contains subjects like Farm Production Plan, Market Plan, Farm Business Profitability and Managing Risks. “While farming provides a means for meeting household subsistence needs, the rationale is to add value out of this practice that must be business like and this is where financial literacy knowledge and farm management skills are crucial and necessary for rural communities in realizing the value  of agriculture  for an improved income and sustainable participation and living,” explained the EU Funded UN Joint STREIT Programme Coordinator Dr Xuebing Sun. The participants also benefitted from the presence of three other UNCDF financial institution partners under the EU Funded STREIT Programme. MiBank, WMBL (Mama Bank) and Cellmoni (Digicel) were invited to make special presentations to the farmers on their savings requirements, loan eligibility and the different products and services that are available to the three value chains.    The farmers attended as Trainers-of-Trainers and were expected to return to their clusters/groups to train other members including youths and women so this important knowledge to appreciate and practice farming as a business is passed on to others for a collective change in mindset by all in rural communities. For the participants, contents of the training were excellent and relevant to their household and farming needs where they can easily implement in their local areas. “We didn’t know how to save money with the bank so in times of need we can apply for small loans. If this training had come earlier, I think PNG would have change a lot,” said Xavier Kapia, a single male farmer from Mupa Cocoa Farming Group of Angoram District, East Sepik. “When I have a family, my children should not face the challenges of not completing their education just because of school fee problems. I will start saving now,” added Kapia who is still enjoying a young life. The training was beneficial to farmer groups as well to operate like a business. “With this financial literacy skills, we can now prepare proper documentations as one of the requirements of lending agencies to access small loans. My executives are village boys so I can go back and train them,” said Jimmy Makain, the Executive Officer of Wape Agriculture Marketing Group in the Lumi District of Sandaun Province. The group has a membership of 56 clusters comprising 1300 plus member farmers which includes youths and women from East and West Wape LLGs.   UNCDF partner under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, MiBank, opened 22 new accounts from this meeting, not only from the participants, but also from locals living within the vicinity of the training area. The UNCDF under EU-STREIT PNG and in collaboration with local partners support implementation of activities related to access finance, rural banking and cashless banking systems. The Programme also support financial literacy of the beneficiaries and an improved business environment. The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a UN joint Programme (FAO as leading agency, and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the country and the Pacific region, which focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through Increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers including the business environment and supporting sustainable, climate-proof transport and energy infrastructure development.

DAY 5, final day of the WPQ and we have our first winner. Miss Pauline Hyun, champion of the 14 Girls event. She beat Ashanti Ligo of Vanuatu 6-3,6-2 to claim 1st place in the West Pacific Region. Congratulations Pauline and let’s go Team PNG. Michaela Mesa & Christopher Kaiulo will fight for the 3rd position in their respective age group later today. [caption id="attachment_23887" align="alignnone" width="768"] (Right) Pauline Hyun and Vanuatu's Ashanti Ligo[/caption] Source: PNG Tennis Association

Further to the previous notice on the 13th of July 202, the polling for Western Highlands Province, and Simbu Province has being deferred to to Monday 18th July 2022. This is to allow ample time for preparations on the ground to be done accordingly so polling is conducted smoothly within the gazette period. All polling across the country will end on 19th July 2022. The decision has been made after consultation with Electoral Commission Officers and security personals on the ground. Polling for Jiwaka will proceed as scheduled for this Friday 15 July 2022. All voters within this concerned provinces are to take heed of this and prepare according.  

The SP PNG Hunters will play host to the Central Queensland Capras this Sunday, 17th July at Bycroft Oval, Runaway Bay in Round 15 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. The Hunters will ride a wave of confidence into this weekend’s contest, having produced their best performance of the season last week against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls to win 36-22. There were some notable changes to the Hunters’ squad who won that game – namely a new halves pairing of Kingstimer Paraia and Judah Rimbu, and skipper Keven Appo’s move from edge forward to lock – but the most significant difference between the Hunters’ of Round 14 and the 2022 season as a whole was their intent and aggression on both sides of the ball. The stats from that game make for interesting reading. The Seagulls spent more time in possession, took more runs and missed less tackles than the Hunters yet both sides were evenly matched in yardage. Wynnum clocked just 30 additional running metres across the 80 minutes despite enjoying the bulk of possession, as they spent much of their time working off their own try line thanks to the kicking game of Rimbu and Paraia for the Hunters. Completing at 82% - a vast improvement from their season average of 69% - allowed the Hunters to build pressure and play the game down Wynnum Manly’s end. It doesn’t show on the stats sheet, but the confidence and momentum the Hunters created with their kicking game flowed into how they used the ball in attack. It’s no coincidence that one of the Hunters’ better attacking performance of the season coincided with a dominate defensive display. The other thing that doesn’t translate onto the stats sheet is the force of contact the Hunters applied on both sides of the ball. In true PNG fashion, the Hunters’ front-loaded their defensive efforts to dominate Seagulls’ ball carriers around the ruck. Sylvester Namo, Dilbert Issac and Keven Appo led the Hunters’ line speed all game and consistently won the tackle to put Wynnum Manly on their backs in yardage sets. This was backed up in attack as the Hunters constantly bent the line to post-contact metres and generate ruck speed for their team. It's a blueprint for success for the SP PNG Hunters in 2022 and now the challenge is to back it up against another top four side this week in the CQ Capras. The Capras leaped to third place on the QRL ladder last week following the Hunters’ win over Wynnum Manly and on the back of their own narrow win over the Sunshine Coast Falcons. A two point margin was all that separated the Falcons and Capras when the siren sounded in Round 14, with Yee-Huang Tonumaipe’a scoring a late try for the Sunshine Coast as they threatened a comeback. That 22-20 win over the Falcons capped off a shaky month of football for the Capras, who also managed a close win over the Blackhawks in Round 11 before drawing with Redcliffe in Round 12 and losing to Tweed in the following week. The Capras’ recent winning record is a far cry from their 4-and-0 start to the season, which included a 26-16 win over the Hunters in Round 2 at Browne Park. Given the improvements the Hunters have shown since that game and their form in Round 14, the PNG side will be every chance of turning the tables and exacting revenge on the Capras this weekend at Bycroft Oval.

Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai has come under fire for standing over stricken Queensland flyer Selwyn Cobbo in what was an explosive opening to the State of Origin decider. Cobbo was left prone on the ground after a sickening collision with a Maroons teammate Patrick Carrigan, the third brutal head knock in the opening minutes after Cameron Murray and Lindsay Collins were also forced off with HIAs. But it was the image of Luai standing over a concussed Cobbo that enraged Queensland players and immediately sparked an all-in brawl. Queensland centre Dane Gagai, who immediately crouched over Cobbo to protect him from the melee, said Luai would come to regret his actions. “There is a line you don’t cross,” he told NewsCorp. “If Luai had his time again, he might not have said what he said. That is what this game brings out in you. “A couple of years back Jai Arrow was scrutinised for what he did to [James] Tedesco. I know speaking to Jai he wishes he had his time back. As soon as he did it he realised he f***** up. It is just passion and heat of the moment. I know Luai. He is a good man away from the field.” Cobbo was immediately tended to by the trainers but he was able to get to his feet and was taken from the field in a medicab wearing a neck brace. Gagai opened up on the concern he had for Cobbo when he saw the blow he sustained. “As soon as he went into that tackle I knew straight away it was bad,” he said. “He was locked up and there were bodies all around. It was just looking after your mate. He would probably do the same for me.” Luai was questioned about the incident on Thursday morning and said he was unaware Cobbo had been knocked out. “I didn’t know he was unconscious but that’s Origin,” he said. Luai also revealed he sought out Cobbo in the sheds after the game to check on his welfare.. The rugby league world, meanwhile, wasn’t impressed by Luai and slammed the Blues five-eighth for flexing on Cobbo while he was clearly knocked out. The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley labelled Luai a grub. “At some point someone has to say to Jarome Luai that enough is enough,” he wrote. “Grow up. Don’t be a grub. “It’s not acceptable to stand over an opposition player who is laying concussed on the ground and give him a gobful. “Not even on the game’s toughest stage. It’s not tough.” CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy tweeted: “Jarome Luai standing over Cobbo is going to become a defining Origin image.” The ABC’s Jacob Shields said: “Unfortunate start to Origin, but that was disgusting from Jerome Luai to stand over Cobbo flexing after he’s out cold on the ground clearly knocked out … could have been seriously injured and he’s flexing over him being all tough?? Very grubby, gross stuff.” Source: NRL.com

Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company, today announced it has officially acquired Digicel Pacific in partnership with the Australian Government. Telstra will continue to invest in and operate the business across its six South Pacific markets – Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Oliver Camplin-Warner, Telstra International CEO, said the deal was an exciting milestone for the Digicel Pacific business and its customers in Papua New Guinea. “We’re very pleased to welcome Digicel Pacific into the Telstra family. The Digicel Pacific team in PNG have amazing local expertise and are leaders in digital experiences for their customers. Together, we’ll work to ensure Digicel Pacific remains the top provider in PNG,” he said. Mr Camplin-Warner confirmed there would not be any local job losses in the Pacific as part of the acquisition and the current Digicel Pacific team would continue the day-to-day running of the business. “Digicel Pacific will still have the same people and products that their PNG customers know and love today,” he said. “ Telstra will add to these strengths with our more than one hundred years’ experience building and operating the largest mobile network in Australia, and our operations in more than 20 countries world-wide.” “As part of our commitment to building a strong and sustainable PNG, Digicel Pacific will invest in an additional 115 towers which will be built across PNG over the next two years,” Mr Camplin-Warner added. “This investment will mean continued improvements to 4G coverage, particularly in rural areas, which will bring with it opportunities to improve health, education, agricultural, commerce and cultural outcomes through the use of technology.” Colin Stone, CEO, Digicel Papua New Guinea, said Telstra’s expertise in rolling out world-class networks and connecting remote communities would greatly enhance the work to date of Digicel and benefit the people and businesses of PNG. “Telstra has experience connecting regional and remote customers in challenging geographies across mountains, deserts, rainforests and coastlines,” Mr Stone said. “We’re looking forward to Telstra applying its network experience as well as its innovation and technology solutions to PNG to continue increasing connectivity in the region as Digicel has been doing for the past 14 years.” Mr Camplin-Warner said the values of both Telstra and Digicel Pacific were a natural fit, with the companies committed to working together to build a connected future for everyone. “We strongly believe we are “better together”, and this includes how we both work to support some of the most vulnerable in our communities,” he said. “Telstra strongly supports Digicel Pacific’s grass roots community investments through the Digicel Foundation, and we are committed to seeing this work continue.” Mr Camplin-Warner said Telstra had been working closely with Pacific Governments and regulators on the acquisition and thanked them for cooperation and support.

After overseeing a win for the ages in his first Origin series as coach, Billy Slater confirmed what nearly anyone who witnessed the brutal 22-12 triumph was thinking. "That is as good a Queensland victory as I have ever seen," Slater said. "I don’t think I’ve been any prouder of a team I’ve been involved in.” Slater played 31 Origins from 2004 to 2018 and was a key member of the most dominant team in the 42 years since the concept began, so he knows only too well the story of Queensland's famous spirt inspiring the underdog Maroons to victory against all odds. However, there has never been a plot quite like the one at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night. First, the Maroons are rocked by the loss of superstar playmaker Cameron Munster and rookie winger Murray Taulagi due to COVID. Then they are forced to play 76 minutes with 15 players after Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins were forced out of the game with head knocks in a no holds barred opening to the match. If this wasn't Queensland’s greatest Origin win, it was at least on par with 1997 when Paul Vautin's underdogs achieved a series clean sweep, the 2011 decider in which Johnathan Thurston attended the presentation in a wheelchair and 2020's victory by the so-called worst Maroons team ever. Only the 16-12 triumph in 1989 in which the Maroons finished with 12 players after serious injuries to Vautin, Allan Langer, Mal Meninga, Michael Hancock and Bob Lindner may rank higher. “There is a lot of history that has gone before us and we unpacked a lot of that this week, and we just knew that based on all of those Queensland moments it was our turn to produce one," Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans said. The Queensland halfback was in tears at fulltime at the enormity of what his side had achieved, telling Channel Nine:  “We did it again”. The Blues were poised to write their names into Origin history by becoming just the third NSW team to win a series decider at Suncorp – and the first since 1994 to do so after losing the opening game in Sydney and winning the remaining two matches away from home. NSW had overcome a Munster-inspired 16-10 loss in Sydney to thrash Queensland 44-12 in Perth and with the star playmaker forced to watch from the isolation of his hotel room after he and Taulagi tested positive to COVID in camp, the Maroons were largely written off. Within four minutes of the kick-off, Cobbo and prop Lindsay Collins had joined them as spectators after being forced from field for HIAs, along with Blues second-rower Cameron Murray. Munster's replacement, Tom Dearden, had an Origin debut to remember just 12 months after his mid-year departure from the Broncos, while fullback Kalyn Ponga was outstanding. Interchange forward Tom Gilbert played 78 minutes on debut after being called on when Cobbo went down, with Kurt Capewell shifting to the centres in a move that proved a masterstroke after he scored on the last tackle before halftime. Cherry-Evans and hooker Ben Hunt guided the Maroons home, with the latter producing a 40:20 kick in the second half and scoring a 70-metre try that sealed the win two minutes from fulltime. Despite the early carnage, for the opening 20 minutes, the capacity 52,385 Suncorp Stadium crowd believed they were witnessing another Maroons miracle after the home team made three line-breaks and eventually produced the opening try. By fulltime, they were struggling to believe what they had seen as Queensland overcame the sin-binning of centre Dane Gagai and his NSW counterpart Matt Burton after a fiery start to the second half was a throwback to past Origins. “Probably the main message was we felt like the team that remained the calmest was going to win,” Cherry-Evans said. “The team that reverted back to just playing footy was going to win because there was so many different things out there that changed the game. “Those things can really impact the game of footy and it is whoever comes out the other side playing the smarter game and we did that. We played a style that wore them down by the end.” Source: NRL.com

The public is advised that polling for Western Highlands Province and Jiwaka Province, is being deferred from today 13 July to Friday 15 July 2022. The deferral will allow ample time for mobilization and deployment of members of the Joint Security Task Force who are currently within the upper highlands region. The election process is ongoing and decisions made are based on real time events and circumstances faced by the Electoral Commission and its officials on the ground as well as advise from the Joint Security Task Force on security issues. "Accordingly, I have made a decision to defer polling for Western Highlands and Jiwaka to Friday 15 July 2022". Polling for Simbu Province will proceed as scheduled, on Friday 15 July 2022. The polling period for the 2022 National General Elections ends on Friday 15 July 2022 and the public and voters in the concerned provinces are advised to take heed of these information and prepare accordingly to ensure polling is completed smoothly within the gazetted period.