1,500 vie for 390 SHP seats

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

MORE than 1,500 candidates have been nominated for presidents and councillors seats in local level government (LLG) elections in Southern Highlands since the issuing of writs last Thursday.

Provincial election manager David Wakias told The National from Mendi yesterday that 146 candidates were nominated for the 20 council presidents’ seats while 1,439 candidates were nominated for the 370 ward councillors’ seats.

Wakias said he expected the number to increase before the close of nominations tomorrow.

He added that preparations for polling were progressing and candidates had started campaigning, which would continue for the next three weeks before voting begins.

Wakias said that two major problems facing the Electoral Commission in conducting the elections in the province were the Kagua-Erave conflict that displaced many people and the issue of electoral boundaries for Mt Bosave LLG.

He said many people were displaced during the tribal fighting in the Kagua-Erave district and government authorities needed to resolve the conflict so that the people could participate in the elections.

Wakias said all 13 ward councils in the Mt Bosave LLG would vote in the Southern Highlands although there were six council wards in Hela and seven were in SHP. 

He added that all 13 wards enlisted under the Nipa-Kutubu electorate would vote in Southern Highlands until the electoral boundaries were finalised.

Wakias thanked Governor William Powi and his provincial government for allocating K1 million to assist with the elections.

“We want to conduct one day polling throughout the province to avoid election-related problems if the provincial government assist with another component of the funding,” he said.