President Toroama wants to meet all newly elected Bougainville MPs immediately
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
President Toroama wants
to meet all newly elected Bougainville MPs immediately
PORT MORESBY: Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama has
invited all four newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in the region for a
meeting before they leave for Port Moresby to be sworn in as members in Papua
New Guinea (PNG)’s 11th Parliament.
“Bougainville is at a
crucial stage in its political journey. We must meet immediately after the declarations
of the winners (whoever they may be),” he added.
He said Bougainville
leaders at all levels must be well acquainted with the political developments
that had transpired between the Autonomus Bougainville Government (ABG) and the
PNG Government in the last two years.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the news break and a few General Election 2022 news updates as published by The National:
Toroama to meet
elected MPs
July 14, 2022The NationalMain Stories
“Bougainville is at a crucial stage in its political journey.
“We must meet immediately after the declarations of the winners (whoever they
may be),” he added.
“Bougainville leaders at all levels must be well acquainted with the political
developments that have transpired between the Autonomous Bougainville Government
(ABG) and the PNG Government in the last two years.
“We have developed with the Government a timeline for Bougainville’s political
independence that stipulates that the outcome must not happen before 2025, and
no later than 2027.
“We have also signed with the PNG Government the Era Kone Covenant which is the
roadmap for the ratification of the 2019 Referendum Results,” Toroama said.
He said there were several other important agreements and processes initiated
by both governments in the last two years that complement the timeline and the
Era Kone Covenant and set about the legal framework for Bougainville attaining
Independence.
“Securing our Independence through the ratification by the PNG Parliament will
be done by the soon to be formed 11th Parliament of PNG.
“Parliament will have four new MPs from Bougainville.
“It is important that our new MPs understand these processes so that they can
better represent the needs and aspirations of the people of Bougainville.
“Only then can they be the true voice of Independence within the halls of the
PNG Parliament.
“This is the last PNG general election for Bougainville.
“So our new MPs must work with the ABG to ensure Bougainville attains nothing
less than Independence when the Referendum Results are ratified by the Papua
New Guinea Parliament.
“Now is not the time for compromising our Independence aspirations.
“We have fought and died for independence, we made peace for independence and
we unanimously voted for independence in an internationally recognised
referendum.
It is our divine right and we will have nothing less than Independence for the
people of Bougainville,” the president said.
Manam Islanders place hope in the new
government
Voting at Asuramba
Care Centre started last Friday which saw more than 500 eligible voters go to
the polls. – Nationalpics by GLORIA BAUAI
By GLORIA BAUAI
THIS may be the last
election Manam settlers at Asuramba will willingly vote in unless the
Government priotises their resettlement, they say.
Asuramba is one of three care centre on mainland Bogia created by the
Government for the temporary relocation of Manam Islanders following the
volcanic eruptions in 2004.
Almost 3,000 people in Asuramba is part of Bogia’s Iabu local level government
made up of Kolang, Dangale and some Kuluguma villagers, according to spokeman
Nelson Mambote.
During polling on Friday, eligible voters expressed frustration, saying despite
their participation in General Election 2022 (GE22), they weren’t keen on it
because their constant request for permanent resettlement had been neglected
for years.
Mambote said authorities turned a blind eye on their plight as all three care
centres – Potsdam, Asuramba and Mangem – regressed into settlements with very
poor living conditions.
He said Asuramba had a “very run-down and handicapped clinic”, no high school
and technical schools, leading to increasing alcohol abuse and illegal
activities by youths.
Dominica Kasira, 5, at
her family well at Asuramba Care Centre, Bogia. – Nationalpics by GLORIA BAUAI
There was no water
supply.
He said with very limited land, their chances of expanding food gardens or
doing business and creating a steady source of income were slim, in most cases
zero.
A youth, Dominic Kasiras said he had lost hope in the Government and saw no
point in voting.
“Soon after the eruption and relocation here, I was one of the first intakes at
Holy Spirit High School to do my grade nine,” he said.
“The Government said they would pay Manam students’ school fees but never did.
“I am now married with three children and still living on a small piece of land
like a prisoner, digging wells for drinking and bathing, and worried about my
children’s future.”
Israel Base, 27, said the former plantation on which they were settled on was
now over-populated, and the only way to cater for his young family was to sell
homebrew for fast money.
Cathy Tola, 55, said it really had been a survival of the fittest.
She explained how she struggled to sell dried tobacco to pay a K7,000 fee for
her youngest child doing second year at Madang Teachers College.
Sinai positive on delivering GE22 on time
ELECTORAL Commissioner
Simon Sinai remains confident that General Election 2022 (GE22) will be
delivered on time despite logistics issues and election-related violence.
“I’m confident everything will be done by (the deadline for the return of writs
on) July 29,” he said.
“We have come up with plans and I am optimistic they are going to deliver.”
In the case of the National Capital District, where polling was deferred twice
before and problems brought up, Sinai confirmed that counting for Moresby
North-West and South electorates would begin tomorrow, while administrative
issues had halted the Moresby North-East team.
Sinai announced the launch of the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) results
website yesterday where people can view the progress across the country for
GE22 in all 22 provinces.
Around 90 per cent of LLGs in the New Guinea Islands and Mamose regions, opened
polling on time and polling took place without any major issues.
The polling schedule in the highlands region has been slightly altered, except
for Hela – being the only province in the region to complete polling.
“In Enga, polling started on Friday and continued on Saturday but due to
incidents of obstruction, violence and other security concerns, polling had to
be continued early this week in some places,” Sinai said.
“For Southern Highlands, polling was held in most of the districts on Tuesday
and yesterday but due to security and transport issues, polling for some places
continues tomorrow (today),” he added.
Sinai confirmed that Jiwaka, Western Highlands and Chimbu would go into polling
tomorrow.
All results and figures will be posted on the Electoral Commission (EC) website
as they are released so that the public can follow them
“Our goal is to return the 118 electoral writs on time by July 29, the date by
which the majority of writs are to be returned to the governor general,” Sinai
said.
Ex-RO challenges court again
FORMER Hagen Open returning officer (RO)
Willie Ropa is making another attempt in the National Court to overturn
Election Commissioner Simon Sinai’s decision to revoke his appointment and
appoint Pais Nop instead as the RO.
Ropa’s first application in the National Court was dismissed on July 4 because
it was an abuse of process and was incompetent, according to the court.
This follows Sinai’s decision on May 2 to revoke Ropa’s appointment and replace
him with Nop as the Hagen RO.
The State through Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa filed a notice of motion
before Judge Joseph Yagi in Waigani to dismiss the proceedings again for abuse
of process.
Tanuvasa said the proceeding did not disclose any reasonable cause of action
and had no utility to proceed.
“It’s just the same application made again, the second time.
“The facts of both matters are same,” he said.
“Apart from all this, the case went before the court and the decision was made
in relation to the powers of the Electoral Commissioner to appointment and reappoint,
which is still binding.”
Tanuvasa said the facts and grounds on which the application was made remained
the same.
“Ropa and his lawyer have clear understanding on how this application was
dismissed at first and went ahead and filed it again,” he added.
Ropa through his lawyer Wesley Bigi opposed State’s notice of motion, saying
the law which the State had used to move the motion was wrong and asked the
court to dismiss it.
Bigi further said there were a few changes made to the application despite the
facts being the same.
He added: “Although it was a delicate appointment, it must be expressed clearly
on the instrument item showing the power and the procedure under which the
appointment was made.”
The application was filed on the grounds that Ropa said he was not given an
opportunity to be heard in his defence before Sinai made the decision.
Bigi said Ropa was appointed as RO and was performing his duties when it was
revoked and Sinai’s abrupt decision without affording Ropa the right to be
heard was unreasonable under the Wednesbury principal and was harsh and
oppressive.
Ballots still on
Siassi
July 14, 2022The NationalMain Stories
COUNTING for
Tewae-Siassi is yet to begin despite the completion of polling on Wednesday, an
official says.
Returning Officer (RO) Lancelot Kamake said some ballot boxes from Wasu and
Siassi islands were yet to be brought to Sialum for counting because there was
no reliable transport available.
He said hopes of flying the boxes from Wasu and the Siassi islands were not
high as the airstrips were not in good condition and the only helicopter was
currently in the Highlands.
“The only hope left for us now is transporting those ballot boxes (12 boxes
from Wasu and 10 from the Siassi islands) by sea,” he said.
“Those boxes have to be in Sialum by Friday for the counting verifications to
be done on Saturday and for counting to start last Sunday.
“This will ensure that the date for the return of writs can be met.”
Kamake said at least five drums of fuel would be needed to transport the ballot
boxes from the Siassi islands after polling concluded on Wednesday.
“Scrutineers and their candidates are pressuring me to fast-track the
transportation of those boxes to the Sialum district headquarters,” he said.
Kamake said he had already notified his superiors and authorities and hoped for
an early response.
“We have no choice but to transport these boxes by dinghy and that means we
have to do it early, between 6am and 8am, as by 9am the sea will be too rough
for us to cross,”he said.
He said Tewae-Siassi needed to be prioritised in terms of transportation as
they were the only district in Morobe that had a large population on the
islands.
Wards vote for different electorates
By JILL MIRR
VOTERS from some
council wards in the Kuare local level government (LLG) of the Ialibu-Pangia
electorate, Southern Highlands, used ballot papers for the Kagua-Erave
electorate to vote on Tuesday.
This was revealed by Timothy Mitameali, the Kuare Primary School head teacher,
who is the assistant presiding officer for Mapiro One ward.
Mitameali told The National that the issue had been ongoing at the border of
the districts and the Electoral Commission (EC) needed to do a proper planning.
Kuare LLG has 17 council wards.
Administratively, the LLG comes under Kagua-Erave electorate.
However, it has been the norm in all elections that 10 wards vote in the
Ialibu-Pangia electorate while the other seven vote in Kagua-Erave.
“The ballot papers that were supposed to be labeled as Kagua-Erave turned out
to be labeled as Ialibu-Pangia and vice versa causing the confusion,” he said.
Ialibu-Pangia returning officer (RO) Ronald Rambu said it was beyond their
control as it was pointed out on the eve of polling.
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai said the two districts had overlapping
electoral boundaries and he was aware of the mix-up.
Slow process will affect formation of government: Wenge
Morobe counting
underway … Counting officials from Umi Azera local level government
(LLG)counting room preparing for second count yesterday afternoon inside
Markham Valley Secondary school campus. – Picture suppliedBy MALIKAI BALANDU
FORMER Morobe Governor
Luther Wenge has warned that with only 16 days left before the return of writs
for the General Election 2022 (GE22), there may not be enough time to complete
the electoral process given the current progress.
Wenge, who governed Morobe for three terms (1997-2012), said GE22 would be in
breach of the Constitution if the writs were not retuned on July 29.
The 62-year-old former magistrate contesting the regional seat and hoping to
enter parliament for a fourth term after a decade’s absence, said he was deeply
concerned that polling and counting around the country was slow and this would
see late declarations.
“Seeing the reality on the ground, there is not enough time,” he said.
Wenge said counting and polling in most parts of the country had started late
and that would affect the lobbying time before the return of the writs.
“When you look at a province like Morobe, most districts are still in polling
while those at counting are still in primary counting and have not reached the
secondary stage yet,” he said.
“This slow counting will cover the lobbying time for the winning candidates, I
can see that the majority of the candidates will not be declared on time and
even if they did, it will affect their lobby time.
“The writs issued for all of the 118 seats in PNG must be returned before July
29.
“No writs can exist beyond that.”
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