Trawen sets dates for Pomio by-election

 VOTING in the Pomio Open by-election will be from May 9-22, Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen announced yesterday.

The Pomio seat was left vacant after sitting East New Britain MP Paul Tiensten was jailed for misappropriating public funds.

In a press conference in Port Moresby, Trawen said the Pomio people should know that the by-election was ready to be conducted.

He said Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Michael Ogio had approved the dates for the by-election. The by-election programme is:

• Issue of writ and nomination opens: March 12;
• nomination closes: March 18;
• polling starts: May 9;
• polling ends: May 22, and,
• Return of writs:- on or before June 11.

“On Friday (tomorrow) the provincial election steering committee will meet with PNGEC senior officers in Kokopo to be chaired by the deputy administrator Edward Lamur,” Trawen said.

“They will confirm the election budget which is around K3.5 to K3.6 million. My officers are working on the budget to confirm it.

“The returning officer to be appointed, pending the confirmation by the steering committee, will be Theresa Sam, the assistant election manager in Kokopo.

“There will be 33 polling teams and five polling officials per team.”