Bougainville Begins Vote Counting After Delays from Flooding

Ballot counting for the 2025 Bougainville general election commenced today after experiencing multiple delays this week. The electoral chief of the autonomous region in Papua New Guinea, Desmond Tsianai, confirmed that counting began at 08:00 local time on Friday, corresponding to 09:00 New Zealand time.

The counting process faced setbacks initially due to significant flooding on Tuesday, which hindered transportation and logistics. A second delay occurred on Thursday evening, attributed to the late arrival of ballot boxes from five provinces. Tsianai provided these details to RNZ Pacific, underscoring the challenges faced in ensuring a smooth voting process.

Polling for the election was originally scheduled for September 4, 2025, but was postponed to September 5 to accommodate all eligible voters. Voting was further extended through Saturday to guarantee maximum participation. Tsianai highlighted the enthusiastic turnout, indicating an overwhelming response to the election across all regions of Bougainville.

The electoral commissioner expressed confidence that the counting process would be completed by September 22, 2025, as required for the timely return of writs. Bougainville has over 239,000 registered voters, and the issue of independence remains a pivotal topic within the region.

As the counting proceeds, the local government and citizens are closely watching the developments. The outcome of this election is expected to play a significant role in shaping the future governance and potential independence discussions for Bougainville.