Bulolo MP: Accept defeat

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE 18 candidates who lost to Sam Basil in the Bulolo seat have been told to accept defeat with grace.
Basil told the candidates and Morobe Deputy Governor Morokoi Gaiwata to get their facts right and have solid evidence before going to court over their claims of “foul play” during polls.
Basil, who won by an absolute majority, said the people of Bulolo had spoken through the ballot papers and his rivals should stop crying over spilt milk.
Basil was responding to allegations of foul play by Gaiwata, who is also president of the Waria local level government area in Bulolo, and representing the
losing candidates.
They had raised serious allegations of foul play against Basil with the support of public servants, police and ward councilors.
Gaiwata said they had evidence and would seek a court order to stop the MP from being officially sworn into parliament.
But he could not provide the evidence to reporters in a press conference yesterday.
Gaiwata questioned why he scored just more than 200 votes in his stronghold area in the Waria local level government.
He said it was traditional in Bulolo that MPs would only win by close margins .
But Basil brushed this aside as sour grape.
“The people of Buang and Bulolo are not stupid,” he said.
“How can I tamper with ballot boxes in my strongholds and other areas? That is totally wrong.
“Why are they complaining against me when it is the voters who have spoken?
“I will sue them if I win my case against them and I will make sure they pay for it.”
He urged the people of Waria to stand by their councilors despite the absence of Gaiwata in the LLG for the last five years. He promised to deliver projects in the next few months to them.
Basil said LLG presidents must be stopped from contesting open seats.