The Papua New Guinea Defence Force is gearing up for the 2022 National General Election coming up in a couple of weeks’ time and is putting the final touches to the preparation of the personnel that will be deployed to support police provide security.
Defence Minister, Win Bakri Daki, was at the 1st Battalion headquarters at Taurama Barracks in Port Moresby this morning to witness the men and women going through the national election pre- deployment trainings in the different scenarios of what could happen during the polling and counting periods.
After witnessing the trainings, a satisfied Minister Daki says the defence force is ready and with the K100million funding given by the National Government, he is positive the defence force will deliver in providing security during the election period.
“We got our budget already, and its already in our account. The prime minister gave us a hundred million and the first fifty million is with us and another fifty million will be in one month time,” said the defence minister.
“We are training our boys and we are ready to go, as the minister for defence I am ready.”
Meanwhile, the National Election Pre- deployment training started off this week and should end next week.
The training takes the defence force personnel through the various possible scenarios that may occur during the election period and the proper ways to deal with these situations if they do arise.
The training was planned out and overseen by the defence force command with the support of partners like the Australia Defence Force (ADF) and members of the United States military.
Over 200 personnel from the First Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (1RPIR) and the Force Support Battalion (FSB) will be deployed the support police in elections operations in the highland’s region and some parts of the coastal areas considered to be hot spots.
The defence force will work under the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) during the election as the police will be in charge of the whole election security operations in the country.
