RUMOURS OF A PLOT to assassinate Bougainville presidential candidate John Momis by supporters of current president James Tanis, who is facing electoral defeat, have been dismissed as untrue.

Newly elected MP for South Nasioi, John Ken, has assured Bougainvilleans that the people making these statements were not associated with either Mr Tanis or former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander Ishmael Toroama.

He said the comments had tarnished the reputations of Mr Tanis and Mr Toroama.

The latest counting in the presidential election shows Mr Momis has 32,441 votes and Mr Tanis 15,749. Five other candidates have about 20,000 votes between them.

Mr Ken said the people making the threats against Mr Momis were not genuine about peace on Bougainville. Both Momis and Tanis are signatories to the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

Meanwhile, in the general elections, a total of 32 seats have been declared and one seat remains to be counted.

Newcomer Newton Kauva has ousted former Communication Minister, Jeffrey Nabuai, in Makis and, in North Bougainville, Dr Alexis Sarei has easily won the Peit seat.

Minister for Peace, Reconciliation and Weapons Disposal, Robert Hamal Sawa, has retained his Hagogohe seat with a convincing win.