25 Jul 2002

Voters in Tuvalu go to the polls to elect 15-member parliament

11:37 am on 25 July 2002

Voters in Tuvalu go to the polls today [THURSDAY] to elect a new 15-member parliament, with all sitting MPs standing for re-election.

The more than 5-thousand voters will choose from 39 candidates standing in eight island constituencies.

Tuvalu has no party system, with alliances likely to emerge after the results are in.

The commissioner in charge of the election, Simeti Lopati, says votes can be cast until four in the afternoon.

"And then we'll start the counting, say after half past four, five o'clock. I think the latest might be ten o'clock in the evening. That should be when we have the result."

Simeti Lopati