ACTING Deputy Police Commissioner Donald Yamasombi has expressed gratitude for a good turnout for the second meeting for the 2022 national election security committee.
Yamasombi said that the meeting held at the Police Operation Center (POC) at Konedobu in Port Moresby recently was a positive indication that the Stake holders like Police, PNG Defence Force, PNG Correctional Services and PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) were serious and concern for a free and fair 2022 National General Elections (NGE).
“And for the first time since 1975, we have the health experts like the St John Ambulances Services joining us due to the presence of covid-19.
“The outcome of the meeting had all the stake holders contributing their respective pre planning stages with the Police presenting a PowerPoint presentation on Police Commissioner’s intent on how Joint Forces Security should assist PNGEC to deliver Election 2022.
“However the committee has expressed concern that their respective plans will be successful only if the National Government provided the required funds as soon as possible as elections are just less than 10 months away and the Electoral Roll update was planned for July 2021.
“And that exercise also depends on funding. Also the tentative dates for election have not been made known as yet. PNGEC had submitted a letter to His Excellency, the Governor General and is yet to receive a response.
“We need the dates and also funding to plan now to collect intelligence to properly plan our operations. We (police) critically need to collect and analyze security threats and resources in the all Provinces and funding is priority to install appropriate personnel in all the Provinces to gather this information.
“And time is of essences. Also we are concern of traditionally peaceful Provinces like Milne Bay and Madang which are experiencing extreme violence criminal activities. We are concern of Highlands region which traditionally is always the hotspot areas for our security planning”.
The committee also expressed concern to prepare for logistics purposes such as procuring vehicles, planning to engage aircrafts like helicopters and boats to be used for the transportation of ballot boxes, polling and security personnel’s to polling areas throughout the country.