Waiya bows out on 15th exclusion
Candidate number 30 in the Dei Open By-Election, McQueenie Waiya, has been excluded from the race during the 15th exclusion today.
Despite bowing out, Mr Waiya said he leaves the contest with gratitude and respect for the electoral process.
He became the first of the remaining 25 candidates to officially attend the counting centre to acknowledge his exclusion in the by-election.
Mr Waiya, who previously contested the Dei Open seat in 2017 and 2022, was eliminated with a total of 5,087 votes.
Speaking at the Kimininga Counting Centre in Mount Hagen, Mr Waiya thanked God, the people of Dei, election officials, security personnel and all stakeholders for ensuring a peaceful by-election process.
“I thank God for the strength throughout this journey. I also thank the good people of Dei for their support, and I acknowledge the election officials and security personnel for maintaining order and allowing the process to continue peacefully,” Mr Waiya said.
He said he was satisfied with his performance despite being excluded.
“I am happy that I put up a good fight in this by-election. The people have spoken through the ballot, and I fully respect the outcome of the exclusion process,” he said.
Mr Waiya confirmed he will regroup and prepare for the 2027 National General Elections.
“I will go back, reorganise, and come back stronger in 2027. This is not the end of my political journey. I remain committed to serving the people of Dei,” he added.
As of 2pm this afternoon, following the 15th exclusion, the top five candidates are:
- Tui Ekil – 16,290 votes
- James Pini – 11,814 votes
- Sam Koim – 11,226 votes
- Desmond Paul Kipa – 10,262 votes
- Wesley Nukundi Nukundj – 7,803 votes
Counting and eliminations are continuing under tight security, with Exclusion 16 underway at the time of filing this report.