Poll preparations underway

 PREPARATIONS for the West Sepik provincial seat by-election are well underway with polling scheduled to start on Saturday.

West Sepik provincial election manager Kila Ralai said the regional seat election would run concurrently with the presidential election for the Walsa local level government in Vanimo Green after its LLG president resigned to contest the by-election.

The former president, Paul Nengai, is among 16 all-male candidates   nominated for the by-election.

Ralai said his assistant returning officers at Telefomin, Nuku, Aitape and Vanimo were conducting their own training for election officials in their respective districts.

He said security arrangements with police were in place and officers would be deployed with the polling teams as soon as their allowances were released from the Electoral Commission headquarters in Port Moresby.

Acting East Sepik police commander, Insp James Baugen confirmed yesterday that 35 policemen and women from Wewak would join their colleagues in West Sepik to beef up security.

In the Walsa LLG election, a female candidate is among eight candidates to contest the president’s seat.