The National Alliance candidate Leo Hannett stands to win a by-election for the Bougainville provincial seat in the PNG parliament, according to provisional results.
Mr Hannett represents the National Alliance, and was a premier of North Solomons province in the 1980s.
He received 38 per cent of the vote, with 12,153 votes.
His nearest rival - the former Ombudsman Commissioner Simon Pentanu - received 29 per cent.
Progressive results were published by the Papua New Guinea electoral commission.
