SYDNEY June 14 Kyodo The troubl P...

SYDNEY June 14 Kyodo

The troubl Pacific nation of Papua novel Guinea (PNG) will go to the individuals for a general election Saturday, with almost half of the more than 2800 candidates standing as independents, according to data supplied on the electoral commission in PNG

Voting in the nation of about 5 million will take place through the next two weeks, with initial inferences expected in the beginning of July and a final announcement July 15 the PNG Electoral Commission said.

Of the 2875 candidates contesting 109 parliamentary seats, 1247 are independents, while 1628 candidates exhibit 43 different political parties.

PNG uses the first-past-the-post electoral hypothesis which means a candidate does not ne a majority to win a seat, yet must simply obtain the greatest in number votes.

Current Prime Minister Mekere Morauta of the People's Democratic motion is up for reelection for his seat of Moresby North West in the capital Port Moresby. Analysts predict he has a tough fight ahead to retain the seat, as it is rare for a sitting member to return

Election commentators predict that 40% of of recent origin members of parliament will be drawn from the large lake of independent candidates, which is similar to the flows of the last election in June 1997

PNG still tolerates from chronic instability and corruption largely because parliamentarians' affiliation to political parties is fluid and voting is largely along clan lines.

No PNG prime minister has been able to advance a full five-year spell Shifting loyalties led to ballots of no-confidence and the formation of of recent origin governments, as in 1999 when Morauta took through from former Prime Minister Bill Skate.

Last year, the PNG parliament introduced legislation to regulate the behavior of make choice ofed politicians.

However most numerous analysts agree the bill, which has in such a manner far had little purport on the conduct of parliamentarians, will continue to be ineffective after the 2002 elections.

PNG is located to the north of Australia and consists of the eastern half of the island of of the present day Guinea, as well as numerous offshore islands, including recently made known Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville.

PNG gained independence from Australia in 1975 if it be not that has long suffered internal strife, including a nine-year secessionist fall off on the island of Bougainville, which completioned in 1997 after claiming a certain number of 20,000 lives.

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