10-way contest

By Staff Reporters
NINE people are challenging Prime Minister James Marape for the Tari-Pori seat he holds in Hela, provincial election manager John Tipa says.
Marape was the ninth candidate to be nominated for the Tari-Pori seat last Thursday at 2.20pm in front of a big crowd and his papers were confirmed in order and accepted at 2.27pm.
In 2017, Marape won in an 18-corner contest.
Tipa told The National 111 candidates have nominated to contest for the five seats in Hela by the 4.06pm deadline yesterday.
He said the new electorate Komo-Hulia open had the highest number of 42 candidates nominating.
“Koroba-Kopiago had the second highest with 29 candidates and Margarima had only 17 candidates that nominated.
“The provincial seat had only 13 candidates that have nominated to contest.”
He said they expected some hiccups but was pleased that Hela had completed the seven days of nomination without any issue.
In Nipa, Jessica Onge, a women’s advocate is among 16 candidates who nominated for the Nipa-Kutubu seat in Southern Highlands.
She will be the first woman to contest the seat. In the National Capital District, 29 hopefuls nominated for the regional seat, five of whom nominated on the final day.
Moresby North-East recorded 76 candidates when nominations closed.
There were 77 candidates at close of nominations but one had withdrawn due to personal reasons.
In Moresby North-West, 27 candidates nominated for this election, 11 short from 2017’s 38 candidates who contested the seat.
At close of nomination three women were in the race Janet Benabo, Anna Bais and Fai Tukeo.
Incumbent Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko is up against seven others.
Returning officer Gau Toea said only one is a female contesting for the seat.
The Wewak Open seat in East Sepik will see 35 candidates wrestle for the office against sitting MP Kevin Isifu.
In West New Britain, 93 candidates have been confirmed to participate in the four electorates.
The provincial seat has 21 candidates, Kandrian-Gloucester with 22, Talasea 32 and Nakanai 18.
For Northern, 46 candidates are contesting the provincial seat while 30 for Ijivitari. Provincial election manager Daisy Hombogani said 44 candidates had nominated to contest the Sohe seat while the new Popondetta Open has 46 candidates.
In the 2017 general election, a total of 3,332 candidates nominated with 65 women among them.
The total number of candidates for this year is yet to be officially released by the Electoral Commission, however a list released yesterday morning showed 2,351 candidates had nominated.
Polling will start on July 2 and end on July 22 with the return of writs expected before July 29.