New LLGs, wards added for polling

A SENIOR provincial affairs and local-level government officer says there will be additional council wards and local-level government constituencies in next year’s LLG elections.
LLG director Tom Larsen said an extra 199 wards and 12 new LLGs were created since the 2013 LLG elections.
“In 2013 there were 6186 wards and 319 LLGs. In 2019 there will be 6385 wards and 331 LLGs. Voters in these new LLGs and wards will vote in the April elections,” Larsen said.
During the third electoral commission workshop in Port Moresby at Gate way , Larsen said the wards and LLGs were created in six provinces in 2016.
“The latest province that we have created new LLGs was in Western province. We had abolished the Gogodala rural LLG and split it into Aramia-Gogodala and Fly-Gogodala in the Middle Fly District.
“We have also abolished the Kiwai RLLG and split it to Fore-coast Kiwai RLLG and Fly Kiwai RLLG in South Fly district. We have also moved the Bula and Mari villages from MoreHead RLLG to the new Fore-coast Kiwai RLLG.”
Larsen said that they had amended the constitution of the Balimo urban LLG in the Middle Fly district and created two new wards.
“So now there are six wards in Balimo ULLG.”