Ex-MP, PPP candidate in race for Sandaun governor’s post

 By MALUM NALU

FORMER Sandaun Governor Simon Solo is contesting the position again as a People’s Progress Party candidate in the by-election beginning this week.

The seat was left vacant after the Supreme Court declared the 2012 election of Akmat Mai null and void.

Solo was the governor from 2007 to 2012. He polled the second highest number of votes in 2012 to Mai.Solo and another losing 2012 candidate John Tekwie challenged Mai’s election victory in the National Court and Supreme Court, resulting in the by-election.

Solo was a National Alliance Party candidate in two elections, a very-strong leader, a former provincial government member and minister.

Party president Ben Micah welcomed Solo to the party. He said five party members withdrew their candidacy to allow Solo to stand.

Micah said Solo had a strong primary base in Aitape, Lumi and Nuku.

“Just judging from the previous two elections, we have a very good candidate, who has a strong voter-base and very strong leadership qualities and credentials from local government, provincial government, to national Government. “Sandaun (West Sepik) is a very important province and has been a very strong base for logging and timber since the 1970s,” he said.

“Oil palm is being developed on a large scale in Vanimo-Green, Aitape, and Nuku. So there’s a big potential for agriculture and oil palm.

“There are huge tracts of arable land, land that that very high value timber species like Kwila, which makes up about 50 per cent of the species in Sandaun.

“It’s got very high value timber, it has fertile land, it is home to the next biggest gold and copper project at Frieda River.”

Belden Namah, elected as Governor by some LLG presidents in the meantime, said he would hold on to the post regardless of the by-election.