by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
Following their call on Tuesday, this morning, the 2012 service providers gathered again at the Electoral Commission Headquarters, demanding to shut the gate to the office.
Between 12-1pm, the service providers shut the gate of the office and demanded for the Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato to respond to their call.
In response, Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato told the demanding service providers, “I asked the government to give some money to pay the outstanding payments, when the submission went in, they never gave me that money, they only allocated funds for the election, so how can I use that 2017 funds for election to pay outstanding, if I do that, its misappropriation, I cannot”.
Gamato said if the government allocated funds for both the 2017 election and the outstanding payments, he will do the payments, instead that is not the case.
He said he cannot do anything and will not use the allocated funds for 2017 election to settle the outstanding payments for 2012.
He said this is not a good idea and he can be held responsible for misappropriation.
Betty Bangi, a business woman and a service provider of the 2012 election, insisted the Electoral Commissioner should do something about their payments as they were assured payments were going to be made.
Betty said the assurance was from the Acting Secretary for Finance Dr Ken Ngangan and the Finance Treasury, Dairi Vele, saying the payments were going to be made during the cost of the 2017 election.
Gamato urged the frustrated crowd that they should consult respective people who are giving the assurance that payments will be made.
