Polling for the Dei Open by election in Western Highlands province began on Saturday, January 17th as scheduled with the election writs expected to be returned on February 20th.
The Acting Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Margaret Vagi confirmed this while calling on voters and candidates to remain calm and respectful throughout the polling and counting period.
She urged everyone involved to follow proper legal processes to ensure a smooth and fair election.
She said officers from the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) operations branch, training section and awareness team have been deployed to the electorate. They are supporting officers on the ground and working closely with Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) to ensure polling runs successfully.
Mrs. Vagi also raised concern over reports of early campaigning for the 2027 National General Elections and warned candidates, political parties and supporters to stop the practice immediately.
āEarly campaigning for the NGE2027 is illegal and can cost a candidate or a party disqualification or fines under electoral and national laws,ā Mrs. Vagi said.
āDo not do early campaigning; this includes social media and online platforms as well. There are applicable laws that can be utilized and those defaulting candidates, parties and their supporters will be charged under relevant laws,ā she said.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Vagi said public awareness for the 2027 National General Elections has already started. Information messages will be shared through Facebook and the media, particularly on the National Broadcasting Corporation radio network.
The Acting Electoral Commissioner is confident the government will fully fund PNGEC operations in 2026 as preparations continue for the 2027 National Elections.
