More join call to boycott elections

WESTERN Highlands deputy governor and Giluwe local level government president Michael Mai and his 52 ward councillors will join their colleagues around the country and boycott the LLG elections next month if their entitlements are not paid.
Mai and the councillors made their stand clear on Saturday along with other councillors and presidents, saying they would boycott if their long due allowances were not paid. He backed the “no payment, no election” stand taken by some other LLGs.
Mai called on the government not to turn a blind eye to the people representing the government.
“You cannot change a person under the barrel of a gun in rural areas, but councillors are experts in that field and they need to be recognised,” he said.
“No money then no election, why waste time to make it a big issue and we do not care even if our LLG is being failed.”
He said the councillors had not been paid their K200 monthly allowances since 2014.
Mai called on the government to defer the elections to next year if it did not have the money.
He said it looked like there would be a nationwide boycott and the government should revisit its decision for the LLG elections. Mai said for his LLG, he received only K500,000 in 2013 and K40,000 in 2014 and he was now waiting to complete projects like a foot bridge, market and water supply.
“How can I deliver my promises when I do not have the funding?” Mai asked.
He said the government policy to pay councillors K200 per month was a good one but it was not working.
Councillors James Mununga, from Karapangi ward 14, Sumbe Wako, from Pakapena ward three, Giluwe LLG deputy president and Pombole ward 17 and councillor Dopen Tapia said they would boycott the elections.
“The government has money to fund the LLG elections, how come it does not have money to pay out our entitlements?” they said.