SYDNEY Aug. 2 Kyodo The troubl Pa...

SYDNEY Aug. 2 Kyodo

The troubl Pacific island nation of Papua just discovered Guinea (PNG) will shut in fresh polls in six Southern Highlands Province electorates following violence in the country's June general elections, the Port Moresby-based seat Courier reported Friday.

More than 30 race have been killed and thousands of ballot boxe have been hijacked and ravageed during chaotic polling in the Southern Highlands and Enga provinces.

Electoral commissioner Reuben Kaiulo declared nine of the provinces' 15 seats Thursday, which had missed Monday's deadline for person declarations.

This brings the number of seats declared to 103 on the outside of 109 seats in the PNG parliament.

Kaiulo also rul elections in six seats had failed following an independent legal investigation and reports from returning officers.

He said in a statement that Electoral Commission officials were stopped from organizing orderly voting or transporting election materials to polling and counting places.

''Most ballot papers have not been turn backed for counting so no convenient counting could be done and many ballot boxe have questionable ballots because candidates and their supporters have interfered with the ballot boxes'' he said.

No recent elections would be held until security for electoral workers and voter could be assured, Kaiulo added.

Nominations will not be called for until a strange timetable and funding for the recent Southern Highlands elections can be finalized.

''Police, candidates, their supporters and community leaders must guarantee that the well-preserved election will be held without lawlessness, pester threats, gunfighting and killing, for voter to freely pick out their choice of leaders,'' he said.

Last Monday, PNG Governor General Sir Silas Atopare invited former Prime Minister Michael Somare to essay to form the country's nearest government after his National Alliance Party won the chiefly seats.

The PNG parliament will come together for its first sitting and devoted for a new prime minister forward Monday.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group