ARAWA (Pacnews) — The Central Bougainville seat has been retained by Sam Akoitai after a low turnout of voters.
The ban on voting in the Papua New Guinea elections ordered by the instigator of the Bougainville revolution, Francis Ona, has resulted in a relatively low turnout in Central Bougainville.
The winner of the Central Bougainville seat is the sitting member, Sam Akoitai, who played a major role in the peace process.
As voting was about to begin on Bougainville, Ona attempted to extend the boundaries of the “no-go” zone around the old Panguna copper mine in Central Bougainville—a zone he regards as the independent Republic of Mekamui. His refusal to allow his followers to participate in the PNG elections has had some impact.
The turnout in Central Bougainville was just over 8,000, or less than half as many who cast their votes in the neighboring electorate of South Bougainville.
Sam Akoitai—who once led the anti-Bougainville Revolutionary Army militias on Bougainville, the Resistance—was returned as the member for Central Bougainville.
The sitting member for South Bougainville, Michael Laimo, was also returned but the deputy prime minister and member for North Bougainville, Michael Ogio, could lose his seat to James Togel of Michael Somare’s National Alliance.”
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea’s Electoral Commissioner says the country’s elections will be finished on time. That’s despite the fact that voting has yet to start in some parts of the country.
Commissioner Reuben Kaiulo says an extension that’s given some parts of PNG until this Saturday to vote won’t put back the official finish to the elections.
