Counting for Eastern Highlands seats to start

EASTERN Highlands will conduct counting 24 hours a day to ensure it finishes before the scheduled return of writs on July 7.
Counting for the nine seats are being organised by provincial election manager Jimmy Alwynn.
It was the last province to go to the polls.
Day and night counting and pre-declaration of returns for ballot boxes for polling venues by respective presiding officers are two measures taken to speed up counting and declarations.
Alywnn confirmed counting would begin for all the seats today.
He attributed the peaceful election process of nominations, campaigning and polling to the involvement of churches, excellent security by police, PNG Defence Force and Correctional Services personnel, candidates, supporters and the peace-loving people of Eastern Highlands.
Alwynn and his management team engaged senior church leaders in the province to conduct a service at the counting centre yesterday to bless ballot boxes and counting officials before counting.
Caretaker provincial administrator Ben Ulopo appealed to candidates and their scrutineers to respect the counting process and not to cause unnecessary delays.
Deputy provincial administrator Solomon Tato expressed frustration at the Electoral Commission for allowing Eastern Highlands to be the last province to go to the polls.
He said elected MPs from other provinces would be in a better position to form government.
 “I urge candidates and supporters not to cause delays and allow counting to progress smoothly so we get our MPs in quickly to be in the government,” he said.
“Eastern Highlands is fed up of having security ministries, we want finance and other economic ministries ion the new Government,” Tato said.