The declaration of incumbent Ialibu-Pangia MP and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, which was scheduled for today, has been deferred to Saturday morning.
This is to allow for the remaining ballot boxes to be counted before the declaration.
After count 96 at around 2pm today, O’Neill is leading with 42,717, followed by an independent candidate Stanley Liria on 7,035 and Justus Rapula on 1,244.
Ialibu-Pangia Assistant Returning Officer, Samson Pulu, said counting for Ialibu-Pangia will be completed this afternoon while the declaration will be done tomorrow.
He added that O’Neill has already reached a 50% + 1 absolute majority but they wanted to finish all the formalities and count all the boxes before doing the declaration.
The Ialibu-Pangia seat has 117 ballot boxes.
Meanwhile, all the other open and provincial seat counting are progressing very well.
Related article:
COUNTING: SHP’s progressive results http://bit.ly/2tli3mP
Check out Loop PNG’s Counting Tally-http://bit.ly/NationalElections2017