Educationist unseats Abal in Wabag open race

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
MEMBER for Wabag and acting former prime minister Sam Abal lost his seat to educationist Robert Ganim while Wapenamanda MP Miki Kaeok lost his seat to a lawyer Rimbin Pato.
Pato and Ganim were declared yesterday afternoon at Wabag Primary School where the counting for the five open and Enga regional seats took place.
 The Kandep open seat was the first to be declared where sitting MP and leader of Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party, Don Polye, won his seat for the fourth consecutive term on primary votes. His declaration was followed by sitting MP for Kompiam-Ambum John Pundari’s, who also won his seat back on primary votes.
The counting for the Laiagam-Porgera open seat and Enga regional seat are now going into the elimination process. 
For the Wabag open seat, Ganim polled 17,900 voted to oust three term sitting MP Abal, who collected 16,500 votes after the last elimination yesterday afternoon at Wabag Primary School counting centre.
In the race for the Wapenamanda open seat, Pato collected 20,389 votes to oust Kaeok, who polled 15,240 votes.
Kaeok was the first to congratulate Pato for unseating in the race.
He said that he did not own the seat, it belongs to the people of Wapenamanda and they have spoken through the secret ballot papers to change the leadership.
He said that he accepted the defeat and would give his undivided support to Pato to continue from where he left in serving the people.
He said that in the next election, he would quit politics and support Pato as his string supporter.
Abal told The National last Friday that if the people did not re-elect him, he would concentrate on his private life.
He said that during the polling substantial amount of money floating at every rest house.
He said that it was a good experiment. If people wanted his “Lusim Gan na Holim Sapol“ policy they would send him back. If they desired money for short-term benefits and not their livelihood, then they would not retain him.
He said the choice was with the people to decide between money and their livelihood.