Posted at 16:30 on 30 July, 2012 UTC

Another high profile politician in Papua New Guinea has lost his parliamentary seat.

Jeffrey Nape has been defeated by the independent candidate Kerenga Kua in the Sinasina-Yongomugl Open in Chimbu province.

Speaker since 2004, Mr Nape, has been at the centre of a number of controversial decisions, not least the dramatic exclusion of then prime minister Sir Michael Somare from parliament in August last year.

That move led to a prolonged political crisis.

The election process is now nearing an end with the writs expected to be returned later this week.

Kerenga Kua, who is a high-profile lawyer and the President of PNG’s Law Society, is the 10th independent to win a seat and the 97th MP to be declared in the 111-seat parliament.