I spent K500,000 in election, says candidate

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
A CANDIDATE for Wabag open, Enga, says he has spent about K500,000 of his savings to stand in the elections at the request of his people.
Paul Kurai, a local businessman and son of a chief of the Kamanowan tribe, the late Joseph Kurai, said he had made sacrifices in the name of the people.
Kurai, who was a councillor for 26 years in the Wabag rural local level government, said last Saturday the people had asked him to try national politics.
He said he had accepted the call because people claimed they had not seen tangible developments in the district.He said he had no regrets on spending the K500,000 in the election.
Kurai said as a businessman, he had enough money and he wanted to serve the people.
He said being a leader meant serving the people and was very happy at collecting 8,000 votes in the primary count.He said leadership came from God and if God did not want him to be a national parliamentary leader he would concentrate on being a businessman.
He expressed concern with other candidates spending millions of kina to buy votes.
Kurai said people reacted to being given money better than just words from candidates or their style of leadership.
He said when offered money, people did not think about electing good leaders for long-term benefits.
He said the mentality of buying and selling votes needed to change for the good of Papua New Guinea.