ENB notes high number of female candidates

MORE than 900 candidates in East New Britain (ENB) have nominated for the 382 ward seats in this year’s local level government (LLG) elections.
ENB election manager and returning officer Joap Voivoi said their confirmed list had increased to 937 nominations received in the 18 LLGs.
Voivoi said the total nominations from the four districts included: Gazelle – 292, Kokopo – 265, Pomio – 254 and Rabaul – 126.
Voivoi said from the 937 nominations, 32 were by female candidates.
“There was a good amount of interest from women in this year’s LLG elections as almost all the wards had one to three female intending candidates,” he said.
Gazelle recorded nine intending female candidates, Kokopo had six, Pomio had seven and Rabaul had the highest with 10 candidates. “Only three out of the 18 LLGs in ENB did not have a nomination from a female candidate,” he said.
He said the three LLGs were Duke of York in Kokopo, Melkoi and Central Inland Pomio.
Voivoi said while they had finalised their candidate listing and the order of draws for candidates, training was underway for the assistant returning officers as well as polling and counting officials.