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Parkop to reduce gap between rich and poor
By Harlyne Joku
governor-elect for NCD and human rights lawyer Powes Parkop said
yesterday that his key priority area is to reduce the gap between
the rich and poor in Port Moresby and fight against poverty and
marginalisation of people.
Parkop made the remarks in an interview with The National after
being declared winner of the NCD seat early last Saturday morning.
He said he was emotional and overwhelmed by his success and the
support given to him during the elections by a cross-section of
the NCD community and thanked them for giving him the mandate.
When asked in a radio interview how he felt of his win and that
people were happy and dancing on the streets to celebrate his
victory, he broke down and cried saying: “I wish the people were
dancing and happy every day in Port Moresby where their basic
needs of clean water, proper sewerage facilities and electricity
were met.
“Now we can see poverty creeping into our city and marginalisation
of people in the economy. You can see big businesses, very rich
people and very poor people.
“I will fight to lessen that gap between the rich and the poor. It
is a very difficult situation,” Parkop said.
The 45-year-old lawyer is married with six children. He is of
Manus origin but has been a resident of NCD most of his life.
Parkop graduated with
a diploma in journalism from the University of PNG in 1981 and
worked with Wantok newspaper.
He returned to UPNG and studied law graduating in 1987.
He was a teaching fellow and lecturer at the UPNG for six years
before being appointed as director for ICRAF (Individual and
Community Rights Advocacy Forum). He served as human rights lawyer
leading a group of lawyers to fight against social injustice,
poverty and environmental issues.
Parkop practised as a private lawyer after leaving ICRAF in 2000
up until his election.
He further assured the people of NCD that he would be working hard
to serve them by creating employment particularly for the youth.
He said he had been confident of his win after having contested
twice in NCD elections – in 2002 and last year’s by-election.
He told The National that he had to put up a strong campaign in
Port Moresby South to gain the support of the Motu-Koitabuan bloc
who determined his win.
Parkop said he believed in honesty and transparency and when
looking to form government, he would choose which party to side
with through their leadership.
“I will look for a party with good leadership, transparent and
responsible,” he said.
Parkop is inviting other Independent candidates to join him and
not be victims of the current horse-trading taking place.
He admitted that many parties had talked to him since his win.
However, everything would depend in the type of leadership they
provide, he said.
He vowed he would relook the Motu-Koitabuan land issue to bring
them more justice to their land rights of Port Moresby city.
Parkop said he would push to create more opportunities for young
people who were unemployed and provided them with training in
areas of agriculture and vocational.
He also said boldly that he would not support a government that is
backing a World Bank and IMF reform programme that would impose on
user pay policy and downsizing of the public service, particularly
the Defence Force.
“I will not support the World Bank Programme,” Parkop said.
 
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