PNG elections descend into chaos
PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta is among thousands of voters who have endured long delays in casting their ballots in the country’s general election.
There have also been reports of widespread voting irregularities with booths not opening on time, ballot boxes and voting papers also disappearing.
A record number of candidates, more than 2,800 representing 43 parties in 109 seats, are involved in the electoral exercise.
Voting has been spread over 12 days but officials don’t expect a result for at least a month as counts trickle back from remote areas where many of the five million population live.
No government has served a full five-year term since Papua New Guinea achieved independence in 1975.
PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — Fifty-two prisoners are on the run from a Papua New Guinea prison after a mass breakout.
A prison officer says he and five other guards at the Baisu Prison in the Western Highlands were overwhelmed by the mob.
Three of the men have since been recaptured.
However, police are scaling back the manhunt for the remaining prisoners because they say they are too busy with election preparations.
PAGO PAGO (Pacnews) — A Hawaiian Air DC-10 narrowly escaped a major air disaster on Saturday night when one of its engines caught fire while trying to take off.
Witnesses at Pago Pago’s Tafuna International Airport said smoke could be seen coming out from the tail of the Honolulu-bound aircraft.
One of the passengers told reporters they heard a loud explosion from one of the engines just before take off. He said they were later informed that the aircraft’s second engine also blew up.
“I thought the plane was going to blow up. It was a very scary experience,” he said.
Earlier on Friday night, another Hawaiian Air plane had to abort its flight due to mechanical failure. It’s not known whether the same DC-10 aircraft was involved in the two incidents.
Some passengers, still shaking from the experience, canceled their travel with Hawaiian Air, preferring to hop across to Samoan capital Apia to catch other flights to Honolulu.
Hawaiian Air officials said the damaged aircraft would be grounded for more than two weeks to have a complete new engine fitted.
RAROTONGA (Pacnews) — The Cook Islands government has set up a committee to review its fuel pricing policy following recent increases in fuel prices in the island in the past two weeks.
Chaired by Finance Secretary Kevin Carr, the committee will establish whether to continue with the current pricing method. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has also recommended a pricing policy, which will be considered.
Carr said the committee is expected to report back to Cabinet with “appropriate recommendations” within four weeks.
In another development, another committee set up to review import tariffs and levies is waiting on a submission from the fishing industry before submitting its report to the government.
Chairman Don Beer Junior said they expect to finish their report by the end of next week.
“Obviously we need to do some sums in terms of proposed levy reduction and work that in with the overall context of government’s total tax take,” says Beer.
“A reduction of levy has an impact on governments’ revenue base and we have to see that it’s economically viable and socially desirable.”
