31 Oct 2012

Vote counting from Vanuatu's general election continues

5:25 am on 31 October 2012

Counting of votes from Vanuatu's general election yesterday has continued through the night.

Official results are some days away but preliminary results are expected later today.

Early reports indicate that voter turnout was poor, continuing a trend from the last general election in 2008.

However polling was largely free of disturbances across the country except for some fighting between supporters of rival candidates in Tanna, and threats against presiding officers in at least one polling booth in Port Vila when some voters found their names weren't on the electoral roll.

International election observers say their impression is that voting was conducted smoothly overall.