Polls open for PNG's national election

Voters started casting ballots on Monday in Papua New Guinea's general elections to decide the coalition government that will rule one of the South Pacific's most populous and diverse nations for the next five years.

Polling takes weeks and the composition of the government among more than 50 parties contesting 118 seats will not be known until Parliament next sits in August.

Police Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop on Monday urged citizens not to sell their votes to candidates among 3,625 vying for election.

Candidates routinely pay poor constituents to vote for them. Papua New Guinea is a diverse tribal society of mostly subsistence farmers with more than 800 languages.