6PM: STOP COUNT
Portrait of a voting ballot. Photo credit: Radio Facts.
The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission has suspended counting of all ballot boxes at 6pm this evening. Counting officially began in Honiara, and in provincial centres across the country today.
Reports received from SIBC stringers and reporters in the provinces and in Honiara all stated a peaceful counting process. In a directive to all its officials at all counting stations this afternoon, the Electoral Commission ordered – counting must discontinue after 6pm this evening to be continued tomorrow morning.
In Honiara, only 5 of the 27 ballot boxes have been counted for East Honiara up to 6pm this evening. A similar number of ballot boxes have been counted for West Honiara constituency. SIBC News understands, results of smaller constituencies will start coming in by tomorrow.