Report students in politics, Kwa says
The National, Monday October 14th, 2013
HIGH school students are becoming actively involved in local level government politics, with a Grade 11 student in East Highlands being elected as an local level government president.
This was one of the lighter moments of the inquiry into the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments last Thursday.
Constitutional and Law Reform Commission secretary Dr Eric Kwa was telling of two cases of young people being elected as councillors when an Eastern Highlands participant broke in with the story of the Grade 11 local level government president.
“In Mt Hagen, there’s a Grade 12 student who’s a local level government council member,” Kwa said
“I have heard that a high school student was sworn in at Kaintiba, Gulf.
“What do we do now?
“They have K200 and residential status, but they’re still young children.
“Instead of people electing adults, they are now electing young children.
“We need to give a report to the Electoral Commissioner.”
The Eastern Highlands participant interjected: “In Eastern Highlands, a Grade 11 student is president.”
Kwa replied, amid laughs: “Let’s deal with it in a different forum.”