| Friday, 20 July 2012Blair Price PROVIDING an election update today is more difficult because of technical delays experienced by PNG’s Electoral Commission. Yet the Peter O’Neill-led People’s National Congress party has won 10 seats, according to social media. THE PNGEC website’s party standing summary for this morning has the PNC party ahead with victories in seven seats, while it leads in at least 21 others.
Yet the PNGEC also admitted that information delays were being experienced on its website due to limited communication capacity.
According to PNG political blogger Tavurvur, the PNC party lead at this stage could be even bigger.
“Peter O'Neill's People's National Congress is the first #PNG political party to win 10 seats,” he tweeted this morning. “It's a five-seat lead at the moment.”
From local media it appears that two distinct camps are starting to form. O’Neill told the Post-Courier of the government-forming talks which will be held in the provincial capital of Alotau, and further said the first independent winner of James Lagea was joining them.
“We will be going down to beautiful Milne Bay on the weekend,” he told the PNG newspaper.
“All our new members of parliament and those who are leading in their respective electorates are going down. Our people have spoken, they know the government they want.”
Yet the Don Polye-led Triumph Heritage Empowerment party is reportedly heading to Kokopo in East New Britain Province for its strategic talks this weekend.
This party is leading in 11 seats outside of its three declared victories.
According to the PNGEC website, the New Ireland-centred People’s Progress party is in second place so far with five seats declared, followed by the National Alliance Party’s four official victories.
THE party is in third position with its three declared seats so far followed by two seats each for independent candidates, the PNG Party and People’s United Assembly Party.
United Resources Party, People’s Party, Social Democratic Party, New Generation Party, Melanesian Liberal Party, Pangu Pati and Coalition for Reform all have one seat each.
A clearer outcome of who will govern the 111-seat Parliament should unfold next week.Click here to read the rest of today's news stories. |
