Leader: Conduct polling in WHP as planned

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday July 1st, 2013

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

COUNCIL and presidential candidates in Western Highlands want polling to be conducted on Saturday as planned.

They said deferring polling would cost extra money and resources.

Deputy governor and Hagen rural local level government council president, Wai Rapa said the deferral of the elections would cost them extra resources.

“The seat that I am occupying is a very hot and expensive seat like the Hagen Open seat,” he said.

He said many candidates had already spent a substantial amount of money and resources on their campaigns.

Rapa, who claimed to speak on behalf of council and presidential candidates, said they wanted people to go into the polls on Saturday.

He said many of them simply did not have the extra budget to going around and campaigning.

“The national government and Electoral Commission must understand our situation and conduct polling as scheduled,” he said.

He said councillors in Hagen rural had not received their monthly allowances for five months.

“This K200 allowance is not much but we do not know why they are not released,” he said.

Rapa said some councillors would retain their seats while others would not come back after the elections and it was better for the government to pay their outstanding allowances immediately.

Rapa said the councillors played a vital role in their communities and held the people together to make sure there was peace and harmony but the government did not recognise that.

He said councillors and presidents were being used like rubber stamps by the government.