Businesswoman eyes Oro seat

By HELEN TARAWA
BUSINESSWOMAN Esmie Sinapa wants to build Northern to be a better province over the next five years if she wins the regional seat.
Sinapa, 52, from Eroro in the Oro Bay area outside Popondetta town, is focused on economic empowerment for her province through innovative solutions in agriculture, fisheries (coastal and inland) and tourism.
Sinapa filed her nomination last week as an Independent.
“Oro is a large part of what makes me who I am because it is my birth place, my language group and the province I grew up in and where my parents are buried,” she said.
“Unfortunately the quality of life and livelihoods for the people have not improved after 46 years of democratic governance.
“I can no longer stand by and watch my people be neglected and see the lack of hope for a brighter future for the children of Oro.
“Visionary, bold and transformational leadership is needed now more than ever to transform Oro and better the lives of our people,” Sinapa said.
A mother of five and grandmother of five grandchildren, Sinapa is one of the three women candidates contesting the provincial seat.
The other two are Jean Eparo (Independent) and Pheobe Sangetari (United Labour Party).
Meanwhile, Northern election manager Daisy Hombogani told The National that a total of 23 candidates had filed their nominations to contest the Northern regional seat.
Hombogani said the updates for the other electorates included: seven candidates nominating for Sohe yesterday bringing the total to 32; two nominations for Ijivitari bringing their progressive total of 24 and seven for the new Popondetta open bringing its running total to 27.
She said nominations were continuing to come in with the days counting down and more candidates were expected to file on the final day today.

Four women candidates to contest seats in Bougainville

Nomination day … Dulciana Somare-Brash being greeted by people at the Angoram district headquarters in East Sepik on Tuesday. Dulciana said she assumed that her lodgment of nomination papers would be a quiet administrative procedure. However, she said many women, children and youth led by female elders, were waiting to greet her at Angoram. Dulciana is the daughter of Papua New Guinea’s founding father late Sir Michael Somare. – Picture supplied

By LULU MARK
FOUR female candidates were part of the 51 nominations made so far to contest in the general election for the various seats in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB), an official says.
Election manager and provincial returning officer for AROB Justine Pantumari said the nominations started last Thursday and was open daily from 8am to 4pm.
He said up until Tuesday the regional seat had five nominations, North Bougainville had twenty-one, Central Bougainville had sixteen and South Bougainville had nine.
He said three female candidates from Central Bougainville – Julie Kandi Dengori, Rosmary Moses and Lynette Ona – were all independent candidates while one from North Bougainville – Beverly Tsibosah Olsei Sauvia – is running under PNG Destiny Party.
“All the sitting MPs nominated last week Thursday to defend their seats.
“For the regional seat I am expecting some more nominations but it might not go up to or beyond ten.
“The order of draw for the regional seat and North Bougainville will be held on Friday from 10am to 12pm at the Bel Isi Park which is at the heart of Buka Town.”
Pantumari said the returning officer for North Bougainville Garry Kenehe would be there at the park for the order of the draw which would include the election steering committee members.
He said the returning officers for Central Bougainville Wendall Tiotarau and South Bougainville Chris Toke would conduct the order of the draw after the nominations close.
“After the order of the draw when the candidates get their box numbers they can go ahead and start campaigning.” He is expecting some more nominations today.

Give woman opportunity in decision making roles, says Tekwie

WEST Sepik has been lagging behind in development for years hence a change is needed so women must be given the opportunity to lead, candidate for West Sepik regional Dorothy Tekwie says.
Tekwie’s nomination was made on Friday and so far she is one of two women candidates.
The other is Yvonne Mai, vying for the regional seat alongside 29 male candidates.
She is contesting under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) whose other female candidate is Angela Nelson for the Alotau Open.
Tekwie said West Sepik was not moving forward due to a lack of quality leadership and that was the same story for many other provinces and electorates.
She said it was time for change and the best symbol of change and looking for a fresh direction with decisive leadership was to vote a woman. “This is a call not only to the people of West Sepik but to everyone in PNG,” she said.
“We need women in Parliament,”
“Give women leaders throughout PNG the chance to represent you in Parliament. We need women in Parliament” she said.
Being a social worker and development adviser, she has been working in the policy and development space since the 1980s and has also served as an adviser to politicians such as Sir Julius Chan and the late Dr Bernard Narokobi when he was Speaker of Parliament.
Tekwie, who has previously contested seats in her native West Sepik and Port Moresby, said this would be the fourth and last time to run for office.
She first contested for the West Sepik regional seat in 1987 under Pangu Pati, then in 1997 she contested for the Moresby North-West seat under People’s Progress Party and in 2012 she contested the Vanimo Green seat under the Greens Party.
“After 12 years of living with the people and feeling disappointed with the quality of leadership I am running again,” she said.
“I have gone past the age of thinking about myself and I feel I need to do this one more time and show that women can provide the leadership this country needs.”