By Simon Eroro - The Post Courier

NOMINATIONS for the 2012 National Elections is predicted to grow by 10 percent compared to 2007 nominations.
One of Papua New Guinea’s first real estate expert Charles Yariyari who spent five years working in Australia with the Professionals, the biggest real estate company in the Australasia Region said the increase will largely be contributed by the economic boom in the country.
Mr Yariyari said in 2002, there were 2836 nominations – the country expected that Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) would reduce the number of candidates in that year’s election, however compared to the 2007 figure of 2726; there was only a slight decrease which showed a drop of 4 percent.
He said in the 2007 National elections, the highest nomination was from the Eastern Highlands Province with a total of 357, followed by Morobe 259 and Chimbu 254 nominations.

“I recall comments by at that time by the Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen who said “it is interesting to note that there was a real major change in the number of nominations received in this election”. 

Mr Trawen’s comment was like predicting the future – the pace our county is going in terms of development aspects, nominations will increase by 10 per cent,” Mr Yariyari said. 

Mr Yariyari also tipped Northern Province to repeat its record in 2007 by recording the high number of nominations in its Regional and two Open seats with 155, compared to, much larger provinces this election.
He said Northern recorded a high number of nominations for a small province compared to much larger provinces like Western Highlands and Eastern New Britain Provinces while Manus recorded the lowest number of nominations at 32.
In 2007;
* Eastern Highlands - 357
* Chimbu – 254
* Morobe – 259
* Madang – 209
* Southern Highlands – 202
* Northern – 155
* Western Highlands - 141
* Central - 141
* East Sepik – 141
* Enga – 140
* Gulf – 122
* West Sepik – 115
* Western – 108
* Milne Bay - 84
* West New Britain – 68
* NCD – 62
* East New Britain - 56
* New Ireland - 41
* Bougainville - 39
* Manus – 32
Mr Yariyari has tipped Southern Highlands, Morobe, Eastern Highlands and Northern to top the list of nominations respectively and while Manus and New Ireland to remain at the bottom of the list for 2012 election nominations.
He has urged Papua New Guineans to vote with their own conscience and not for the love of material things.