Group wants Hela election to be held

By MALUM NALU
THE Hela Gimbu Association says Hela should have a governor who is mandated by the 300,000 people of the province.
Association president Damien Arabagali said that when supporting prominent Hela leader Larry Andagali filing summons in the National Court on Wednesday seeking orders that the Hela by-election be conducted immediately.
“We must have a governor who will be mandated by the 300,000 people,” he said.
“We want a governor like (the late Anderson) Agiru who will talk for the greater Hela.”
Arabagali said Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP Philip Undialu and Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape were making a farce of it by both claiming to be the acting governor of Hela.
“We respect the open members but we did not vote you to be the governor,” he said.
“What we are saying is what is so hard about letting the people of Hela vote for their governor.”
Arabagali said it would cost K9 to K10 million to stage the by-election but the Government did not seem to have the money despite all that Hela was contributing to the national coffers through the PNG LNG Project.
He said the Government should also appreciate the fact the Hela shared its resources with neighbouring Southern Highlands, where Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was from, as well as the rest of PNG.
“Why don’t you (government) allow us and give us the mandate to elect a leader who will allow us to share everything?” Arabagali said.
“We are a people that shares resources. Allow us to have our government, allow us to have our election.”
Arabagali said O’Neill realised that all three Hela MPs – James Marape (Tari), Undialu and Potape – were members of his ruling People’s National Congress Party so there was no reason for the delay in the by-election.
He has recently made statements on behalf of the Hela-Gimbu Association calling for the Hela by-election to go ahead.