KEITH JACKSON

THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ELECTORAL COMMISSION website is featuring progressive results from the national election – so far from 78 of the 111 seats in contention.

Only three seats have been declared until now, including that of prime minister Peter O’Neill, as the election moves to the end of its third week.

Unfortunately, women candidates are not faring well - only one is leading, narrowly, in Sohe Open.

In terms of how the political parties are making out, Peter O'Neill's People's National Congress has the most candidates in the lead so far with 20.

The PNC is followed by the National Alliance (Michael Somare, leading in 9 seats); Independents (8); PNG Party (Belden Namah, 6); People's Progress Party (Julius Chan, 5); and Triumph Heritage Empowerment (Don Polye, 4).

But there's still a long way to go, even though voting was supposed to be concluded a week since.

This round up seeks to provide you with the latest information on the most interesting seats and candidates.

If nothing else it may brush up your knowledge of PNG place names.

We’ll try to provide you with a similar round up in a couple of days time.

ABAU OPEN - Very early in the count, Sir Puka Temu (Our Development) is leading

AITAPE LUMI OPEN - The colourful Patrick Pruaitch (National Alliance) has a comfortable lead in this electorate

ALOTAU OPEN - Charles Abel (People’s National Congress) has a huge lead over his nearest opponent from the PNG Party in a 40-candidate field

ANGORAM OPEN - Arthur Somare (National Alliance), Sir Michael’s son and one-time PM heir apparent, is leading in a tight contest

BULOLO OPEN - The outspoken Sam Basil (PNG Party) has a huge early lead and seems certain to be re-elected.

DEI OPEN - PurI Ruing (United Resources), who featured in a recent PNG Attitude story, is leading comfortably at an early stage of the count. In third place is female Independent Margaret Parua

EAST NEW BRITAIN PROVINCIAL - John Kaputin (Melanesian Alliance) has nearly twice the number of votes of the second-placed Triumph Heritage Empowerment candidate after the 22nd count

EAST SEPIK PROVINCIAL - Michael Somare (National Alliance) who was in a neck and neck struggle with his Pangu opponent Allan Bird is now about 20,000 votes ahead as counting nears completion

ESA'ALA OPEN - Sitting MP Moses Maladina (People’s National Congress) is trailing Davis Steven (People’s), but not by much, in early counting

GAZELLE OPEN - There’s a keen fight here between Norbert Kubak (People’s National Congress) and Malakai Tabar (Melanesian Liberal) with my former UPNG colleague Sinai Brown (Triumph Heritage Empowerment) beginning to trail off badly

HELA PROVINCIAL - Governor Anderson Agiru (People's United Assembly) leads by 3,000 votes in a fairly close tussle with Independent Andy Kapa. The preferences of the third placed candidiate will be important here

IALIBU-PANGIA OPEN - Prime minister Peter O’Neill (People’s National Congress) won this seat in a landslide and was the first candidate to be declared elected.

KANDEP OPEN - Prime ministerial aspirant Don Polye (Triumph Heritage Empowerment) has more than twice the votes of his nearest opponent

KAVIENG OPEN - Ben Micah (People’s Progress) has a handy lead midway through the count.

LAE OPEN - The popular Bart Philemon (New Generation) has a lead in early counting. In a big field Loujaya Toni (Indigenous People's), who wrote for PNG Attitude recently about the travails of being a female candidate is running fifth about 600 votes in arrears.

LUFA OPEN - No counting as yet but there’s a huge field of candidates including PNG Attitude contributor Jeffrey Mane Febi (People's Movement for Change)

MADANG PROVINCIAL - Former chief justice and Somare supporter Sir Arnold Amet (National Alliance) leads by 300 votes at an early stage of counting from one of the few women candidates, Mary Kamang (People’s National Congress) to be doing reasonably well

MANUS OPEN - Ronny Knight (New Generation) won by 250 votes over Job Pomat (People’s National Congress)

MANUS PROVINCIAL - Charlie Benjamin (People’s National Congress) won by about 700 votes from Michael Sapau (Triumph Heritage Empowerment)

MAPRIK OPEN - Pita Lus (Pangu), like Michael Somare an ageing veteran now, is trying to make a political comeback. He’s running a creditable fourth to John Simon (National Alliance)

MORESBY SOUTH OPEN - The controversial Justin Tkatchenko (Social Democratic) is leading comfortably in this urban seat.

NAMATANAI OPEN - Sitting member Byron Chan (People’s Progress), Sir Julius’s son, is handily placed well into the count.

NATIONAL CAPITAL DISTRICT PROVINCIAL - Governor Powes Parkop (Social Democratic) has about double the votes of the second-placed candidate but in a big field

NEW IRELAND PROVINCIAL - Former PM Sir Julius Chan (People's Progress) is going around again and is leading from Ian Ling Stuckey (National Alliance) in what looks like being a keenly fought contest.

NORTHERN PROVINCIAL - The respected Garry Juffa (People's Movement for Change), seeking to enter parliament for the first time, is leading narrowly at an early stage in counting

POMIO OPEN - Early days yet but the colourful former minister Paul Tiensten (People's United Assembly) is well behind the leader Francis Koimanrea (People’s Democratic Movement)

SOHE OPEN - Dellilah Pueka Gore (Triumph Heritage Empowerment) is the only female candidate to be leading but it’s at an early stage in the count.

VANIMO-GREEN RIVER OPEN - With just over half the votes counted deputy PM Belden Namah (PNG Party) is running a poor third to two Independent Willie Inaru and Tradggy Waramin. However observers say that the strong Namah areas are yet to have their votes counted. Greens candidate Dorothy Tekwie is trailing badly in a large field of candidates

WABAG OPEN - Sam Abal (Independent) has a comfortable lead over the second placed candidate

WESTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCIAL - A celebrity field is battling for top spot with former PM Paias Wingti (People’s Democratic Movement) who until recently lived on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast just ahead of Tom Olga (Triumph Heritage Empowerment). Trailing badly in sixth place is Independent John Nonggorr, a prominent barrister and constitutional lawyer