16 May 2003

Fresh elections ordered in some PNG highlands areas on Saturday

7:06 am on 16 May 2003

There will be fresh elections in parts of Papua New Guinea tomorrow after a legal challenge of last week's outcome of a supplementary election in the Southern Highlands.

The acting electoral commissioner says voting will be held in six areas of the Imbonggu Open electorate, with results to be declared on Sunday when the seat of the governor of the Southern Highlands will also be declared.

Tomorrow's voting was ordered by the national court in Mt Hagen after one candidate, Pili Niningi, said last week's polling started late and was not held in all areas.

The Southern Highlands recently went to a supplementary election in six electorates after last year's national election had to be abandoned because of violence and fraud.