The elimination stage has begun in the electoral race for the Bougainville presidency.
Ballot boxes that were earlier transferred for counting Photo: Bougainville Electoral Commission
The Bougainville Electoral Commissioner has announced that a quality check of the overall vote count has been completed.
The candidate with the lowest number of first preference votes will be eliminated.
The votes they received are distributed to remaining candidates according to the 2nd and 3rd preferences on the ballots of those who voted for them.
Unless this redistribution gives a candidate 50 percent + 1 of the formal votes, then a remaining candidate with the lowest number of votes is then eliminated.
His or her votes are then redistributed according to the second and third preferences.
This process continues until a winner is found.
At this point, former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander, Ishmael Toroama, is in the lead with Father Simon Dumarinu in second place.
In third is Thomas Raivet. Close behind him in fourth is Fidelis Semoso.
Meanwhile Dawn FM reported that a 22 of the 31 candidates declared by Friday afternoon were new members.
Photo: The Bougainvillean