Wenge dominance waning?
By MADELEINE AREK
MOROBE Governor Luther Wenge could be losing the stature he once enjoyed over the Tutumang (provincial assembly).
If yesterday’s votes of the community, business and church representatives in the provincial assembly were any indication, Mr Wenge has cause for concern as all three of his nominees to those posts were defeated.
The defeats come a day after revelations of corruption within his office.
For the first time in his 11-year term as governor and Member for Morobe, he could not muster enough numbers to have his nominees elected to those posts.
What transpired had observers in the public gallery questioning the validity of a pact agreed to by the province’s 10 elected leaders soon after their respective election victories last June, for cooperation amongst themselves for the good of the province.
It also had some expressing their views on the evident cracks in Mr Wenge’s reign now that ward councillors were no longer members of the provincial assembly.
His three nominees, Zacharias Kapisa (churches) was defeated in favour of Finschhafen man Bimbi Gam, his community representative nominee Musereke Ambunzinga lost to Benson Suwang and his business representative candidate Bou Bise could not stand up to Ahi Holdings chairman George Nasinom.
His only comfort came from the election of Tueng Morewa as women’s representative to the provincial assembly.
Mrs Morewa, who is president of the Finschhafen district women’s council, was Mr Wenge’s nominee for the seat. She defeated two other rivals, prominent women leaders for the post.
Mrs Morewa takes the reins from Markham district women’s president Enike Chiru.
In her maiden address to the Tutumang yesterday, Mrs Morewa said she would need the support of the 10 elected Members and the Morobe administration to effectively carry out her work plans on women and youth issues in the province.
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