Namah drops to third place

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The National,Friday July 13th, 2012

By ELIAS NANAU in Vanimo
BELDEN Namah is currently facing a daunting ride in his quest to regain his Vanimo-Green River open seat in West Sepik province.After count 16 at 5pm yesterday, he had polled 712 votes, relegating him from second to third place.Still leading the race is Willie Obow Inaru, an independent candidate from Green River with 2,966, followed by Traggy Waramin, also an independent candidate, on 1,442. Waramin is from Amanab.
The voting trend showed that voters from Green River and Amanab, the local level governments whose ballot boxes had been counted, had voted for their own men.
Next is James Fanio with 540 votes, Jerome Angawi 464, and female candidate Dorothy Tekwie with 19 votes.
The assistant returning officer for Amanab Anton Wanpia said the ballot box from Green River was still in dispute and had not been counted yet.
In the Aitape-Lumi electorate at 5pm yesterday, officials were into the eighth elimination round with MP Patrick Pruaitch in a commanding lead of 9,547 votes.
Returning officer Joe Ainep said they were progressing at a slow pace but he expected to declare a winner soon.
Ainep said still running second to Pruaitch was United Resource Party candidate John Awe Yemi who polled 4,298 votes and independent candidate Job Tolipi on 3,652.
Meanwhile, ballot boxes for Telefomin, stranded in Yaspie, have been transported to Telefomin district headquarters. Counting is expected to start tomorrow.
For the West Sepik regional seat, John Tekwie maintains the lead after count 14 at 5pm yesterday afternoon with 1,253 votes, followed by Amkat Mai on 656.
The ballot boxes were from the local level government areas of Amanab and Imonda in the Vanimo-Green River electorate.
Kos Umion has 353 votes and female candidate Julie Kevin Moide polled 118 votes.