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PNG Power donates K10,000
PNG Power Ltd (PPL) this year
has given financial support of K10,000 to back its technical
support to the Open Heart Surgery project that will see them no
power interruption to the Port Moresby General hospital area
during the open heart operations.
The presentation by PPL board chairman Sari Maso to the Open Heart
Project 2007 yesterday noted that this was the first time PPL had
made a monetary contribution to the project.
“PNG Power has in the past ensured that the standby generators at
the hospital were maintained full time while the operations were
in progress, we will continue to do that again this year. However,
we thought we should also put something extra back into the
community with this donation,” Mr Maso said.
In receiving the cheque, Cathy Johnston, who is the chairperson
and coordinator of the open heart programme, on behalf of the
committee expressed gratitude to PPL for its financial support.
She said the committee so far had raised over K200,000 but are
targeting K500,000 as the program is not only for Port Moresby
based patients but is a PNG programme.
“Doctors will fly out to the other centres and identify the ones
that really need the operation,” Ms Johnston said.
Mr Maso, who was previously with the PNG Habours Board, noted of
his past experience in supporting such a worthy cause where the
operation was mostly carried out on children and what a joy it was
for the both the sponsors and the families to see life back of
these children.
Smooth polling in NGI region
A By ELIZABETH VUVU
POLLING in New Guinea Islands went smoothly with no major reported
incidents and police regional commander Fred Sheekiot has urged
people to keep this trend during counting.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki was in East New Britain yesterday
and is expected to give his blessings today to the commencement of
counting in the province.
He reportedly had a briefing with Mr Sheekiot and senior police
officers.
Mr Sheekiot told The National yesterday that reports from West New
Britain, Manus, New Ireland and East New Britain indicated that
there was no major reports since polling began.
In Bougainville, Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Nessatt said
the situation was peaceful and people were focused on polling.
He urged the people to feel free to vote for their candidates.
Yawari ahead in SHP race
SOUTHERN Highlands Governor Hami
Yawari is leading the race for the regional seat.
After count 35, Mr Yawari – the PNG Conservative Party leader – is
leading with 6,830 votes.
He was followed by former governor and United Resource Party’s
Anderson Agiru with 4,290 votes, People’s National Congress’
Michael Nali with 3,689 and Independent Dickson Tasi with 2,511
votes.
For Ialibu-Pangia open, opposition and PNC party leader Peter
O’Neill is leading with 2,607 votes after count 15.
He was followed by PNG Party’s Roy Yaki with 1,293 votes and PNG
Conservative Party and former administrator Brian Pebo with 1,095
votes.
Counting for Imbonggu, Kagua-Erave, and Nipa-Kutubu were
progressing but no results were immediately available.
Poor chopper scheduling
blamed
POOR planning in the use of the
helicopter in Bereina has been blamed for the delay in the
deployment of polling teams in Goilala, Central province.
This was claimed yesterday by police officers at the Tapini
station.
“The Central provincial Electoral Commission officers should have
planned to refuel the helicopter and to have it based in Tapini,”
the police officers said.
At present, the helicopter is in Port Moresby and would spend only
about 30 minutes to get to Taipini.
Then, it would spend an hour flying to and back from Bererina to
refuel. Then, it flies back to Tapini to shuttle polling teams to
their respective assignments.
“And if cloud cover was heavy, it would then return to Port
Moresby to wait until the clouds had cleared up … this was time
and fuel-consuming.
“We have been stranded here since last Thursday,” police officers
said.
Sea transport secured for Atolls
polls teams
By ELIZABETH MIAE
THE Electoral Commission confirmed yesterday that funding for the
transportation of polling officials to the Atolls in Bougainville
has been sorted out.
The provincial returning officer Reitana Taravaru said they hoped
to leave for the Atolls before the end of the week.
MV Morobe Queen has been secured from Rabaul Shipping at a cost of
K120,000 for transportation to the Atolls.
The polling teams have been struggling to get to the Atolls since
last week but were stranded in Buka due to the non-availability of
a vessel for transportation.
Assistant returning officer Paul Tobasi said there would be a
one-day polling for each of the Atoll which takes in Nuguria,
Mortlock, Tasman and Catarets.
 
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