PNG election: Fears early counting could ignite protests

Experts warn early counting of votes before polling ends across the country on Monday could ignite protests.

Members of the PNG Electoral Commission

Members of the PNG Electoral Commission Source: PNG Electoral Commission

Vote counting has begun in Papua New Guinea (PNG), signaling an end to a general election marred by poor organization and opposition accusations of electoral roll irregularities, which experts said could ignite protests.

Voting was set to finish across the country on Saturday, but with a large number of people unable to cast ballots due to out-of-date electoral rolls and logistical problems, ballot boxes were still open in some provinces on Sunday.

Tension in PNG has been high for months amid a groundswell of unrest following allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill.

The frustration among voters unable to cast ballots could trigger new unrest, analysts said.
"There's always some degree of violence and malfeasance in a PNG election, however no one expected the electoral roll to be this bad," Jonathan Pryke, director of the Lowy Institute of Policy's Melanesia Unit, told Reuters.

In June 2016, a student protest turned violent when police opened fire, injuring dozens.

International observers said the use of an electoral roll from 2012 polls meant many people, in highland regions in particular, were denied the chance to vote.

Sam Basil, leader of the junior opposition Pangu Party, told Reuters 9,000 voters in his constituency of Bulolo, on the north coast of the main island, had been unable to cast ballots because of irregularities.

He said polling was expected to finish across PNG on Monday.

Observers expect a tight race between O'Neil's party and that of his main rival, former Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch.
Whoever wins faces a difficult economic outlook with a budget deficit that has ballooned in recent years amid a slump in oil and gas prices. A 2016 drought crippled farming and brought production at its largest copper mine to a halt by cutting off river transport and therefore fuel supplies.

Moody's downgraded PNG's credit rating to B2 in April last year, reflecting balance of payments pressures that have been compounded by the slump in global commodity prices.

Despite its mineral wealth, which includes Exxon Mobil's $20 billion LNG plant, most of the country's nearly eight million people live at subsistence level on islands, atolls and in remote mountain village.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
PNG election: Fears early counting could ignite protests | SBS News