A by-election for the East Arnhem electorate of Mulka has been set for September 12 following the sudden resignation of Yingiya Guyula on Wednesday, with parties now scrambling to preselect candidates by next Thursday.

Administrator David Connolly issued the writ for the by-election this morning, with the list of those eligible to vote to close at 5pm Friday.

Candidate nominations for the electorate, previously known as Nhulunbuy, are open now and will close at noon on Thursday August 27.

The electorate was renamed Mulka following redistribution in 2020. It includes the town of Nhulunbuy and the communities of Galiwinku, Milingimbi, Ramingining, and Yirrkala.

Mr Guyula was first elected in 2016, narrowly defeating Labor deputy leader Lynne Walker. In 2024, Mr Guyula retained the seat with 75 per cent of the vote against CLP candidate Allen Fanning, who was the only other candidate.

The CLP and Labor have not yet named their candidates for the upcoming by-election.

Labor did not run a candidate in Mulka at the 2024 general election.

Mr Guyula resigned as MLA on Wednesday morning, “effective immediately”, triggering the by-election.

He said it was not an easy decision to make, but that he felt he needed to “return to my family and my people on country to provide the leadership for the next generation”. He added he was proud to have served as an independent MLA, “accountable directly to the people and speaking for the people”.

Mr Guyula, who is widely respected in politics across the country, also said the decision to resign was successive governments of both political persuasions refusing to work with Aboriginal Territorians.

“We are willing, we have called for partnership, we have called for treaty,” he said in his resignation statement. “We are saying ‘come and work together’, but successive governments are not listening and are unwilling to do so.”

He added the CLP Government had introduced “too many laws that are dehumanising, oppressing and destroying our communities and our people”.

The electorate had 6,933 enrolled voters as of May 1, 2024, according to the NT Electoral Commission.

Only 46 per cent of those voted at the 2024 general election.

“All eligible electors in the division of Mulka are encouraged to check they are correctly enrolled at their current address before the close of roll,” the NTEC said in a statement announcing the by-election.