Counting for Nawaeb resumes following consensus

By EHEYUC SESERU
COUNTING for the Nawaeb seat in Morobe is continuing after a protest by officials over their allowances was resolved.
The counting was suspended last week.
The officials have been assured that the allowance was now being processed.
Returning officer Bamun Bange said he took up the issue with the provincial election manager and election steering committee.
“I told the officials that their concern is now with the election steering committee and they are working on their allowances,” he said.
“Hopefully, they will be paid by today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today).”
Bange said they had completed the primary counts on Sunday and were now into the second half of quality checks.
After the primary counts on Sunday, People’s Progress Party candidate Samson Timson was leading with 4597 votes, followed by former MP and Pangu Pati candidate Kennedy Wenge with 3390 votes.
Sitting MP Gisuwat Siniwin of the People’s National Congress was third on 3330 votes.
Fourth was PNG Party candidate Masam Som with 2831 votes.
Siniwin is the assistant education minister in the current Government.