First win for ENB women

 By ELIZABETH VUVU

TWO wards in the Rabaul district, East New Britain, will for the first time have women councillors to represent them.

They are Matupit ward one in Kombiu local level government and Volavolo ward in Balanataman LLG.

Assistant returning officer for Kombiu LLG Donald Terarup said Ruth Bualvoi was declared winner of Matupit ward one and Elizabeth Warnga Boa was declared as councillor for Volavola on Monday.

Other declarations made in the Kombiu LLG for the council’s seat included Elizah Hosea for Baai ward and Sylvester Marave for Matupit ward two who was unopposed.

Terarup said only one-sixth of the population at Matupit had voted while at Baai only 60% voted.

In the Rabaul urban LLG, two declarations were made for council seats for ward 4 and ward 11.

Assistant returning officer Freddy Lemeki said these two wards saw its two current councillors re-elected with Stanley Beno for ward 4 and Johnson Ray for ward 11.

Lemeki said he had observed two situations where people were coming in to vote but did not find their names on the electoral ward rolls while those who had their names on the rolls did not make attempts to come and vote.

Balanataman LLG conducted its first count on Monday and declared three re-elected councillors: Ivan Ngatia for Nonga ward, John Milapapa for Rapolo ward and John Kedek for Raluan ward 1. David Todes was declared unopposed councillor for the Nonga hospital area.

ARO Babel Umri said polling progressed well since the weekend as counting continued.