Candidates’ supporters clash in Finschhafen
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Candidates’ supporters
clash in Finschhafen
PORT MORESBY: A man is critically injured, five other
people are missing and a vehicle was burnt after a confrontation between
supporters of two candidates for Finschhafen in Morobe, commander Supt Jacob
Singura says.
“The incident happened
on Sunday (June 19, 2022) night when supporters of a candidate were leaving for
Pindiu and Mindik in a convoy.
“Police have arrested
four people involved in the attack,” he added.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few General Election 2022 news updates reported by The National:
Clash over Finsch seat
June 22, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
According to Morobe police commander Supt Jacob Singura, the incident happened
on Sunday night when supporters of a candidate were leaving for Pindiu and
Mindik in a convoy.
“Police have arrested four people in relation to the incident and they are now
in custody,” he said.
Singura said the convoy was attacked and supporters confronted each other,
resulting in the situation getting out of hand.
“The supporters in the convoy were trying to return to their homes and were
chanting, singing and calling the name of their candidate,” he said.
“This angered the locals and a war of words was exchanged between the groups.”
Singura said the locals attacked the supporters in the convoy, injuring a man
while assaulting others.
He said some supporters in the convoy fled into the bushes.
Singura said the local people in the area torched a Toyota Land Cruiser
belonging to the supporters in the convoy.
He said at the moment, tension was still high and police were carrying out
investigation into the incident.
Singura said he was happy that 17 members of a police unit from the Lae metro
command were in the district and had assisted the Finschhafen police.
Gagidu police station commander Sgt Taki Dewop said police manpower had been
stretched with the recent confrontation.
I want to see more government functions, says
Sir Charles
PNG Party’s Milne Bay
regional candidate Sir Charles Lepani (left) on the campaign trail in East Cape
last week. – Picture supplied
Milne Bay regional
candidate and retired diplomat Sir Charles Lepani says he wants to see more
government functions channelled to the provinces through the decentralisation
process.
Sir Charles, who had a unionist background, is contesting the General Election
2022 (GE22) under the PNG Party banner which is led by Opposition Leader Belden
Namah.
He said people from the provincial level down to the districts, and local
government ward council level needed to be empowered to participate in the
development of their areas.
Sir Charles said the decentralisation machinery was there but it needed
remodelling and redirecting, making it responsive to the requirements of people
now and in future.
As head of the Planning Department in the early stage of Independence, Sir
Charles was a member of senior bureaucrats group nicknamed the “Gang of Four”,
who had yet to enter Parliament.
The other “Gang” members, who had gone on to become Members of Parliament were
former prime minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu, former prime minister Sir Mekere
Morauta, and former Moresby North East MP late Sir Anthony Siaguru.
The four of them were then heading central government departments and were more
influential in providing technical advice in drafting government’s development
policies including the decentralisation system.
Sir Charles is the son of late Lepani Watson who was a member of the House of
Assembly representing Kula Open electorate (1964-72).
He said after active duty serving Papua New Guinea, he came home to live in
retirement.
But the call of Milne Bay made him change his mind.
He said he wanted to be actively involved to help Milne Bay people to live
happily and work in harmony to prepare a better future for their children.
This is the second time Sir Charles is contesting the general elections, having
first tried in Kiriwina Goodenough Open 40 years ago in 1982 but failed.
This time he is contesting the vacant governor’s post in Milne Bay.
He is up against former governors, Tim Neville and Titus Philemon, and Our
Development Party Leader, Charles Abel, plus 14 other candidates.
Security personnel committed for safe
elections
THE security forces are committed to a free,
fair, safe and corruption-free General Election 2022 (GE22), says Police
Commissioner David Manning.
He highlighted this following the recent security forces’ interception and
confiscation of police and PNG Defence Force uniforms on a private charter from
Port Moresby to Komo in Hela.
“We have confiscated one blue field uniform, three police long pants with a GB
boot as well as one set of what appears to be PNG Defence Force camouflage
uniform, one shirt and one short trousers,” he said
Manning said the items were now in police custody with investigations conducted
to ascertain who the uniforms belonged to including a confiscated Sig pistol.
“The security forces also confiscated a Sig pistol from a member of the public
who was at the Komo Airport to meet the flight,” he said.
We will investigate this as well to ascertain whether this is a licenced
firearm and whether the suspect has a permit to carry.”
Manning said that the role of a member of the security forces in the Komo
incident was now under scrutiny.
“Our investigations will also cover those who chartered the aircraft as well as
the role of the ground staff at the Komo Airport,” he said.
Meanwhile, Manning urged people to be responsible in their posts and comments
on social media.
I will restart where I
left off: Soso
June 22, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
“This, I am doing, with the setting up of women associations in the 264 wards,
I had also provided seed funds for the associations.”
Julie said the funds were to get women in rural areas to venture into small
income-generating activities to sustain their livelihood.
“This was what I did and left off after failing to get reelected in 2017,” she
said.
“Every ward council received money directly from my office, both men and women.
“I will resume where I left off if I am re-elected in this general election.”
Julie said General Election 2022 candidates could promise to provide for
everyone, but for a province like Eastern Highlands, it would be a very
difficult task because funds are lacking.
“We need money for all basic services such as clean water, proper sanitation,
healthcare, housing needs, education, law and order, recreational centres,
market facilities and transport infrastructure,” she said.
“All will remain a dream, unless an effective strategy is successfully
implemented.
Julie is contesting on a National Alliance Party ticket.
Central not benefitting from resources
HIRI-KOIARI General
Election 2022 (GE2) candidate Willie Kaeaka says Central is not benefiting from
its natural resources because of a lack of leadership in the Government over
the years.
“Koiari had been supplying power and water to Port Moresby,” he said.
“But it lacks basic services such as better roads, electricity and water among
others.
“We are also supplying Port Moresby with timber, rubber and land but there had
been no leadership in Parliament to look after our interest for the past 26
years.”
Kaeaka, a Koiari native spoke to hundreds of supporters and local leaders at
his election rally in Goldie-One Mile outside Port Moresby last Saturday.
“It is about time the people stand up, unite and elect someone from Koiari to
represent them in the Parliament,” he said.
“A Koiari candidate should take the lead because they are with us and know our
problem.”
The newly created seat for GE22 is being contested by 35 candidates.
Kassman positive in contesting for Central
regional seat
CENTRAL regional candidate Philomena Kassman
believes she stands a better chance as she is the only one from Kairuku
contesting the seat.
The businesswoman and independent candidate, who had contested the same seat
three times previously, was hopeful that her practical solutions for economic
empowerment and addressing lawlessness in communities were what Central’s rural
populace needed.
Philomena is one of three women and 18 men, including Governor Robert Agarobe,
contesting the provincial seat.
Given the number of candidates she had contested against previously, she
reckoned she had not done badly.
She came third in 2007, fourth in 2012 and eighth in 2017.
“In this election, I see a difference,’’ she said.
“People want good leaders.
“Churches are praying.
“Life is not good for the people anymore.
“Women and youths especially are tired and want a difference.”
Philomena said after three previous attempts, she was tired but was convinced
by people in her district to contest.
She said her main motivation was to help rural people, especially youth get out
of poverty and petty criminal activities, something she had done before.
In 2007, she bought 17 trucks initially to provide cleaning services to the
National Capital District but when she did not get the contract, she put the
trucks to serving Central communities.
Not only did the trucks transport people and goods between Port Moresby and the
districts, they were also used in maintaining rural roads.
Philomena said the road maintenance programme was quite effective and enabled
people to bring their produce to markets.
A number of young men were also engaged in the running of the trucks and
learned basic mechanical training from operating the trucks.
“That was one way youths were engaged and contributed to their communities,”
Philomena said.
“I would like to continue and expand that kind of service and activities if I’m
successful in this election,” she said.
She planned to set up youth centres in each of Central’s five districts which
were an important part of her policy and vision.
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