Polling begins in Gazelle

Main Stories, National
Source:

The National, Monday July 8th, 2013

 POLLING for local level government elections in the Gazelle Peninsula, with the exception of Pomio district, started last Saturday.

Polling in Pomio was delayed to Wednesday after bad weather resulted in the late transportation of logistics.

East New Britain provincial election steering committee chairman Edward Lamur highlighted over the weekend that these logistics included security personnel and polling materials for Pomio.

Today, all polling teams will be deployed to the coastal areas of West Pomio-Mamusi, Central Inland Pomio and Melkoi.

The rest of the teams for Lassul-Baining and inland Baining will be deployed tomorrow.

The number of candidates contesting the elections in the 382 wards and 18 LLGs stands at 1,160, among which 43 are females.

About 99 ward council seats in the province are unopposed, with declarations expected to be made after counting, leaving 283 wards to elect their councillors.

Six wards did not receive any nominations. 

Those six wards are in isolated areas of inland Baining and Central inland Pomio and provincial election manager Joab Voivoi said this might have been one reason why there were no nominations.

Manus started polling last Saturday, election manager Pakop Posangat confirmed.

He added the polling teams had continued on to other wards yesterday.