PNC leads members’ count with seven

CARETAKER Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s People’s National Congress party has secured another two seats to take its numbers in parliament to seven, leading the overall count of members declared so far.
The two new addition to the PNC camp were Jimmy Miringtoro who retained his Central Bougainville seat and Charles Abel in Alotau.
In second place with four members declared is the People’s Progress Party, which recorded a clean sweep of New Ireland’s three seats and another from the Sepik plains of Wosera-Gawi in East Sepik.
Triumph Heritage Empowerment (T.H.E) Party and National Alliance did not get any additional members yesterday and remained on third spot with three declared members each.
Belden Namah’s PNG Party jumped a rung to fourth place alongside the independents on two declared members each following yesterday’s declaration of incumbent Francis Potape for the Komo-Margarima seat.
The independent candidates who were declared yesterday were Richard Maru, who unseated Peter Wararu Waranaka in Yangoru-Saussia, and James Lagea who retained his Kagua-Erave seat.
Following them, and each with a member declared, were the United Resources Party, Melanesian Liberal Party, People’s United Assembly, New Generation Party, Pangu Pati and the People’s Party.
According to information reaching The National yesterday, PNC was likely to see more new faces joined its camp before the end of the week. A good number of PNC candidates were maintaining their lead in the electorates currently going through the final stages of counting.
Following not far behind is Don Polye’s T.H.E Party, National Alliance, PNG Party and the independents.