The acting Bougainville Electoral Commissioner George Manu says the elimination process for the ABG presidential seat has started.
Mr Manu says this follows the completion of the quality checks on the presidential ballots Friday afternoon.
He says a quality check is conducted to ensure that the number of ballots inside a candidate's ballot box corresponds to the results that each candidate should have after the completion of the first preferential count.
After the counting of the first preference votes, the incumbent president of the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville, John Momis, has established a huge lead over the other candidates.
Apart from the presidential seat, quality checks on the North Bougainville former combatants seat is also complete, and the elimination process has also started.
The elimination process for the North Bougainville women's seat is expected to commence on Saturday as counters have yet to complete the quality check.
Bougainville election officials busy checking ballot papers Photo: Bougainville
