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The postponement of voting in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby last week was an "embarrassment and humiliation", former New Zealand governor-general Sir Anand Satyanand says.
Sir Anand, who is leading the 12-member Commonwealth Observer Group sent to monitor PNG's national election, said there was still time for the election process to regain credibility.
"It's like a batsmen at number three who makes very few runs, leaving the rest of the side with a big hill to climb," Sir Anand said, using a cricketing analogy to describe Port Moresby's delay in voting.
Voting in PNG began just over a week ago and is scheduled to last the rest of this week.
The vote has also been marred by reports of thousands of people being left off the electoral roll.
Sir Anand, who is travelling around the country to monitor booths, said he had seen "examples of people not having their name on the roll".
"But it has to be said we saw polling booths with significant numbers of people attending and endeavouring to cast their votes," he told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program.
"There was a thirst and enthusiasm for voting and taking part in the election."
There are already suggestions the election may be a failed one, but Sir Anand said it was too early to make those sorts of claims.
"Election officials … have got a week to put measures in a better place than they are at the moment," he said.
"I would not responsibly use the word 'failed'.
"Whether it reaches a pass mark is for this week to establish."
The election was also tainted by the arrest of Port Moresby's election manager, who was found with the equivalent of $75,000 cash in his car and accused of colluding with a candidate.
Voting has been moving progressively across the country and is scheduled to continue until July 8.
Topics: elections, government-and-politics, world-politics, papua-new-guinea, pacific