Lae elects new lord mayor

 By PISAI GUMAR

LAE city, the country’s industrial hub, has a new lord mayor.

He is Koim Trilue Leahy who was declared on Friday after he polled 7,137 votes to unseat James Khay, who polled 6,082 votes in the Lae urban local level government election. 

However, Khay said he would dispute the election results in court.

Among the government officials who witnessed the declaration were provincial election manager Simon Sinai, election steering committee chairman Patilias Gamato, city manager Roy Kamen, Lae police commander Iven Lakatani, police operations commander Supt Fred Kaiwa and community policing coordinator Peter Gorek.

“In every election, as usual, people speak through ballot papers and finally, only one person becomes a winner. I now declare candidate 42, Koim Trilue Leahy, as duly elected lord mayor of Lae city,” Sinai said when declaring Leahy.

Sinai acknowledged the 45 candidates who contested, his election team and police for their contributions to the peaceful elections.

Khay and Koim were rivals in the 2008 LLG elections. 

Khay defeated Koim by more than 5,000 votes, adding another five to his previous four-year term after toppling Boyamo Sali in a vote of no confidence in 2002.

Koim turned the tables with a 1,055 vote difference this year.

Koim thanked the people for their trust by bestowing the mandate in him.

“I am willing to take on from where Khay has left based on my theme ‘enemies to none and friends to all,” he said.

“I wish to work together with the Government, stakeholders and councillors with support from communities,” he said.

Leahy praised Khay for his leadership in the past nine years and urged the former lord mayor for his support.