Campaign period

He said candidates have this week to polish up and do their final campaigning.

Sinai said all campaign activities including movement of people and staging rallies will end on Friday. He urged candidates to observe and respect electoral laws by removing loud hailers and speakers mounted on their vehicles after Friday in readiness for polling which starts on 4 July 2022.

The Commissioner said polling will not be conducted on Saturday and Sunday (July 2-3), as these are considered days of worship and is protected by law.

All candidates and political parties are required to pay a one-off fee of K500 to the Lae City Authority to put up their posters, banners and billboards around Lae City boundaries.

LCA has so far received payments from some candidates, and is reminding others to do so at their earliest to avoid any inconvenience.

Fees are to be paid at the LCA cash office at the ground floor of Morobe Haus, which was formerly known as Vele Rumana.

Failure to do so will result in LCA removing the candidates’ posters, banners and billboards.

ENB provincial returning officer Joab Voivoi said as of close of nominations on Thursday May 26), people must take ownership of the 2022 general elections.

“Candidates, supporters and the general voting population must respect each other and work together so we can witness and orderly and peaceful election in the province, which has been witnessed in past elections,” he said.

Mr Voivoi reported that nominations in the province in the past week were orderly and peaceful.

This is the fourth week for campaigning and candidates and parties will be looking at marketing themselves to the voters.

PNG Electoral Commission stated earlier that 3,332 candidates will contest for the 22 Provincial and 89 Open seats in the Papua New Guinea’s 111 seat Parliament.

The eight weeks of campaign will end on June 23, followed by the two weeks of polls.

Meanwhile, the political marriage between the two largest parties in the coalition government is coming to an end.  

Campaign period started on 20 April, following the close of nomination for candidates intending to contest for the 22 Provincial and 89 Opens seats.

The eight weeks of campaign will end on 23 June, followed by the start of 14 days nationwide polling.

PNG Electoral Commission media officer Alphonse Muapi said the total number of candidates contesting in this year’s election will be official released by the PNGEC later today or on Monday.