Sensitive materials arrive as campaign winds down

Ballot papers, the indelible ink and candidate posters have arrived in Arawa, as campaigning for the Central Bougainville by-election winds down this week in preparation for polling.

A chartered aircraft carrying these sensitive materials transported the cargoes into Aropa Airport on Tuesday, and they were transported to the Arawa Police Station and locked up.

The three-week campaign period will end on Friday May 30.

Today, the PNG Electoral Commission Provincial Election Manager for Bougainville and Returning Officer for the by-election, Justin Pantumari, will meet with the candidates in a candidate briefing, among other things, to brief them to appoint 39 scrutineers each, for each of the 39 polling locations in Wakunai, Panguna and Kieta.

Pantumari will also meet with Presiding Officers over the weekend to go through the process of polling and counting, ahead of polling.

The polls will open on Monday the second of June.

The five multiple polling days will end on Friday June 6.

Counting will follow soon after, from June 7 to the 27th, when a declaration will be made and the writ returned to mark the end of the election.

The Central Bougainville by-election is one of the shortest elections conducted by the PNG Electoral Commission, with a tight schedule of just under two months.

A total of 14 candidates, all men, are contesting the by-election.