125 candidates to contest Motu-Koitabu elections

By LUKE KAMA
A TOTAL of 125 candidates have been nominated to contest the Motu-Koitabu elections.
The contest is for a chairman, two women representatives and 14 council wards for east and west electorates in the National Capital District.
Of the 125 candidates, 10 are vying for chairman to be contested by nine men and a woman – Beatrice Mahuru, the former chief executive of PNG Digicel Foundation.
NCD election manager Terence Hetinu told The National that nominations closed on Thursday and they had proceeded with “the order of draw” to get candidate box numbers.
“In this order of draw, we are drawing and giving the candidates numbers for each candidate to use in the campaign – their box numbers,” Hetinu said.
“We have 17 seats, two seats for the women – one women representative for the East Motu-Koita and one for the West Motu Koita – one chairperson, six council wards for Motu-Koita East and eight council wards for the Motu-Koita West.” Campaign will continue until Sept 28.
“Polling will commence on Sept 29 for a period of seven days but I’m planning to conduct the polling for just one day.
“I conducted the Motu-Koita election in 2013 and I am also conducting the election now and I think that one day polling will be good.
“Although seven days polling is allocated, I will only conduct one day and that is on Oct 3 which is on a Wednesday.”
Hetinu said one-day polling would be conducted to complete the voting process and they will go straight into counting.
“We are looking forward to complete the election for Motu-Koita by the end of October, before October 20, which is the date set for the return of writs.”