Pangu plans to camp in Wewak to form next Government
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Pangu plans to camp in
Wewak to form next Government
PORT MORESBY: Pangu Pati, out of respect for its
founding father, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, will be camping in East
Sepik’s Wewak when it forms the next Government after General Election 2022
(GE22), Prime Minister James Marape says.
“As this will be the
first time (to have an election) without him, we have chosen to set up camp in
Wewak where he lays,” he added.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few GE22 news updates as published by The National:
Pangu to camp in Wewak
June 17, 2022The NationalMain Stories
THE Pangu Pati, out of respect for its founding father, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, will be camping in Wewak, East Sepik, when it forms the next government, says Prime Minister James Marape.
“We will be setting up camp to form (the next) government in Wewak, out of respect for the late Grand Chief who was a founding father of the party,” he said.
“As this will be the first time (to have an election) without him, we have chosen to set up camp in Wewak where he lays.”
Marape, who has been campaigning for party candidates in Alotau, Milne Bay, in the past two days, said he wanted to take the party’s young leaders back to the Grand Chief’s home in Wewak “for them to realise and understand the dream that our forefathers had for our country”.
“I believe that the younger generation needs to carry on that dream,” he said.
Marape told The National that the Pangu Pati had discussed the idea with the leaders of its coalition partners.
Marape also said it was time that the people were given the economic independence they deserved.
“We need to empower (them), instead of handouts. For example, we can continue talking about free education. But what happens after that?” he said. “Where will all these students go to? Instead of giving them fish, let’s teach them how to fish.
“That is what economic independence is about.”
Marape said only 10 per cent of the population lived in urban centres.
“Pangu is about the rural people,” he said.
Marape also stressed the importance of giving women candidates the opportunity to win.
“They are (our) mothers, daughters, sisters. (Let’s) see what changes they can bring,” he said.
Pangu’s women candidates are Natasha Panta (Alotau open) and Jennifer Rudd (regional).
Marape said: “Alotau has not changed, despite having two governments formed here.
“If you want change, try electing new leaders. Give women candidates a try. Even strong men and leaders go back home at the end of the day and call on their wives and mothers for a plate of food.
“Mothers are the ones who take our children to the hospital when they are sick, manage our homes and ensure the welfare of the family. I believe they can do the same for the people if given the mandate.”
Records being checked
June 17, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
THE National and
Supreme Courts Registry has confirmed that it is in the process of going
through documents sent from the Electoral Commission (EC).
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai had said on Tuesday that EC would be sending
the full list of candidates contesting the General Election 2022 (GE22) to the
Supreme Court, National Court and District Courts, Public Prosecutor’s Office
and the Attorney-General’s Office to verify their status and records.
Although registrar Ian Augerea declined to comment, The National was
told by his office that it was reviewing the list of candidates sent to them by
Sinai.
According to an official at the Supreme Court Registry, Mary Vagi, the list of
documents arrived initially to her office on Tuesday morning after which they
were delivered to the Office of the Registrar.
Sinai’s hope was to accomplish all this before polling begins on July 4 and
with two weeks to go until polling begins, they are racing against the clock to
get all the checks done to have candidates with criminal convictions removed to
have a free and fair election.
The Supreme Court had ruled on May 31 that persons convicted of any offence and
sentenced to more than nine months’ jail from June 25, 2002, were disqualified
for life from contesting and running for general elections.
Candidates warned about carrying guns
CANDIDATES in
possession of high-powered firearms have no place in the 2022 General Election
(GE22), Police Commissioner David Manning says.
He was reacting to how police searched and found a high-powered rifle in a
vehicle on the Highlands Highway in Kainantu this week.
The vehicle belonged to a candidate in Eastern Highlands.
Manning said investigations were yet to be finalised.
“Police will be dealing with anyone, whether a sitting or former member of the
parliament and aspiring candidate who is in possession of firearms” he said.
Manning warned the public that they would not take the matter lightly but deal
with it according to the law.
“If the process of arresting and charging the particular candidate means
sitting in jail and waiting for bail during this whole GE22 process than that
would happen,” he said.
Meanwhile, police and defence force personnel are working on identifying those
with illegal firearms to arrest and charge them.
Earlier this year, Justice and Attorney-General secretary Dr Eric Kwa said
people convicted of firearm-related offences were likely to be sentenced to
life imprisonment or fined K1 million.
Police equipment to arrive today
A TOTAL of 3,000
ballistic vests and 3,000 helmets at a cost of AU$10.5million (about K25
million) will arrive in Port Moresby today for use by police during the 2022
General Election (GE22) security operations.
Australian High Commissioner Jon Philp said the gear was purchased from the
United States to help police ensuring a safe and secure GE22.
He said as Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) were democratic countries that
conducted elections in similar manner, sometimes things could get out of hand.
Police unit expect GBV to peak after election
RATES of gender-based
violence (GBV) and domestic violence are predicted to peak after the General
Election 2022 (GE22), the director of Family and Sexual Violence Unit (FSVU)
Superintendent Delilah Sandeka claims.
“We are saying after the elections because that’s when the majority of
candidates are made,” she said.
“When they (candidates and their supporters) lose, this kind of stress can be
taken out on spouses, girlfriends, partners or family members.”
Sandeka believes that the Electoral Commission (EC) has properly planned the
GE22 so that it is gender inclusive and adds that police is in continuous talks
with the EC to raise awareness throughout the provinces.
“So we’re working closely with the EC to raise awareness within the provinces
to monitor and enforce violence related to GBV so that after the GE22,
election-related offences to GBV are reported, monitored and enforced on the
ground wherever it happens,” she said.
“Unlike in past elections, there was no proper monitoring system, especially
from the side of Government.
“Most of the time we had international observers coming from human rights
groups abroad for their own reports and agendas.”
She said GBV cases were expected to increase after the elections, but this was
just an assumption and it could increase during the polling.
“In raising awareness early, we’re trying to mitigate the factors that
contribute the increase of violence after the election,” she said.
Campaign on the run …
Morobe regional seat candidate Jennifer Baing’s campaign vehicle making its
presence felt in Lae on Wednesday. Baing, contesting under People’s Movement
For Change Party, is among 33 candidates vying for the provincial seat. One of
her policies is “ward development planning is the key to addressing development
at the ground level.” – Nationalpic by LARRY ANDREW
Don’t pass fake news:
Pomaleu
June 17, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
Pomaleu said this after disinformation circulated on social media concerning a
private meeting between Prime Minister James Marape, the Papua New Guinea
Defence (PNGDF) Force and police.
“This is a serious allegation and can land someone in court for spreading such
fake news on social media,” Pomelau, who is secretary of the Department of
Prime Minister and National Executive Council, said.
He called on Papua New Guineans to assess what they read on social media and
form balanced views and determine whether they were being misled or manipulated
by the messages.
Pomaleu urged the public to be good rational thinkers in the community and to
be better judges of information, adding, this could assist with differentiating
between accurate information and fake news.
“I further appeal to our young and educated Papua New Guineans to refrain from
sharing fake news online, and especially on social media networks, and to be
more responsible in their actions to avoid being penalised under our cyber law.
“We are also using all means to track the source of this fake news to either
take down the page and or penalise the perpetrators,” Pomaleu said.
Next govt urged to ensure quality education
QUALITY education must
remain a priority for the successive governments formed after the General
Election 2022 (GE22), a Morobe education official says.
Finschhafen district education manager Simon Shong said the last term was
challenging for administrators trying to ensure quality was maintained.
He said the government’s Tuition Fee Free policy had not assured quality as
expected and instead had posed more challenges.
“We experienced cuts in our funding and we were left with the challenging task
of getting parents to pay a parental component.”
MPs primary role is to legislate, academic
says
By KELVIN JOE
AN academic is encouraging people to vote for candidates who listen and
communicate effectively.
National Research Institute (NRI) research fellow Dr Thomas Webster said with
polling to begin on July 2, voters needed to choose candidates who would make
good parliamentarians.
“We need to choose people who are recipient to listen, sit down and communicate
well with the community because these are their main function as a Member of
Parliament,” he said.
Webster made the remarks on FM100’s talkback show last Thursday.
He said people should not elect the sort of people that gave out money and
promised but instead those that would listen to them and identify their needs.
He said a parliamentarian’s main role was to pass laws, debate issues, have
discussions of national interest, consult their constituents and take their
concerns to parliament to create appropriate policies.
“The roles of MPs is to elect an executive government to run the country,” he
said.
“Parliament must make sure that the executive arm does the things people want
them to do, implement and pass the laws, approve budgets, and deliver goods and
services,” he said.
“These are done through the Parliament body along with parliamentary committees
such as the public accounts committee.
“Through this committee it will hold the executive government accountable to
implement plans according to the wishes of Parliament – which are people’s
wishes.”
Meanwhile, Webster said MPs were also put in difficult positions because of the
people’s expectation to for money, favours and other benefits.
He said district services improvement programme funding allocated to all
districts (electorates) had encouraged this type of attitude and mentality.
He said as such MPs were driven by their electorates to spend more time on
roads and bridges, and on schools and health facilities among others.
Province set for polling
THE common roll for
West New Britain has been updated and the province is ready for polling, West
New Britain (WNB) election manager Emily Kelton says.
Emily, in her General Election 2022 (GE22) update, said 118 polling teams were
ready for polling. The electorates are Kandrian-Gloucester, Talasea, Nakanai
and WNB regional.
She said the WNB government had given K1 million to help run GE22 apart from
funding from the Electoral Commission.
Emily said there were no election-related offences or disturbances during the
campaigning period, all candidates were conducting their campaigns peacefully.
“We have not received any reports of such election-related offences so far
since nomination and now we are into the campaigning period,” she said.
Esa’ala welcomes PM …
The children of remote Esa’ala Station on Normanby Island, Milne Bay, stood in
pouring rain to sing the National Anthem and recite the National Pledge for
Prime Minister James Marape yesterday. It was a scene which touched Marape, who
was at Esa’ala to campaign for his Pangu Pati candidate Jimmy Maladina, and
Milne Bay regional candidate Jennifer Rudd. “To see our young children standing
in the rain and singing our National Anthem, and reciting the National Pledge,
breaks my heart into pieces. It is really for them that I am here to campaign.
You (people of Esa’ala) have the opportunity (through voting) to construct
something better for the little children who sang the National Anthem this
(yesterday) morning.”
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