List expected this week

The Electoral Commission has to make sure candidates’ details are correct before it releases the final candidates’ list this week, a commission spokesman said yesterday.
This information is vital for printing candidates’ posters.
Media officer Alphonse Muapi said the commission had an obligation to ensure that all candidate details were correct before they released the final list.
The number of candidates contesting general election this year has been reduced from 3332 to 3324.
This was confirmed in the draft final list of candidates compiled by the information and communications technology branch of the Electoral Commission last Thursday.
Since the preliminary list of 3332 candidates was released by the operations branch of the commission after close of nominations on April 27, two candidates have died, one for Enga regional has been ruled ineligible because he is serving time in jail and five have been ruled as “mistakes” when doing up the preliminary listing.
“There are procedures and processes to follow to ensure PNGEC gets the final listing right,” Muapi said.
“The listing went through two drafts already and the final draft is being put together now for release as soon as possible.
“Much of the delays were due to political parties late in submitting their confirmed list of sponsored candidates while there are independent candidates who are being endorsed by political parties after close of nominations.
“There are also political parties that have endorsed two candidates in one electorate, which is not allowed by Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC), which needed to be sorted out.”
Muapi said copies of the final list would be provided to media organisations as well as published in the news-
papers for the public’s consumption.