More women MPs needed: PM

The National Main Stories

By REBECCA KUKU
PRIME Minister James Marape says Papua New Guinea needs more women MPs in the 11th Parliament.
He said this after at least 21 women have been nominated to contest in the general election after the first day of nominations on Thursday.
“I am happy to see and hear that many women have been nominated to contest for seats nationwide.
“They have taken the bold step of raising their hands, give them the opportunity to speak during campaigns. Pangu Pati has endorsed eight women candidates,” he said.
In Northern, five women filed their nominations. They are former Sohe MP Delilah Gore who lost in GE17, and is contesting on a People’s National Congress Party (PNC) ticket.
The three other women are former acting Chief Ombudsman Pheobe Sangetari, who is contesting under the United Labour Party, and Jean Eparo and Esmie Sinapa are Independents.
In NCD, at least six women have been nominated to contest in various seats.
Three women are among the 35 election hopefuls who filed their nominations to contest in Moresby North-East. They are women are Tania Bale (People’s Party), Diane Unagi (United Labour Party) and Quina Ongugo (Independent).
Michelle Hau’Ofa (People’s Party) is contesting in Moresby-South, businesswoman Sylvia Pascoe (NCD regional) and former Community Development, Youth and Religion Department secretary Anna Bais (People’s Party) is contesting in Moresby North-West.
In Morobe, the three women contesting for the provincial seat are Sheila Pati Harou (National Alliance), Jennifer Baing (Peoples Movement for Change) and Gengewe Neritha Ganzik for Markham open (PNG Party).
Baing, 42, was non-governmental organisation Save PNG’s executive director, Harou, 57, is the Social Performance and External Affairs manager with Wafi-Golpu joint venture and Ganzik, 38, is self-employed. Harou was a former acting provincial administrator.
In West New Britain, former provincial community development adviser Celine Uma is contesting the regional seat. Former Bali Vitu LLG officer Gertrude Vitolo is running for Talasea Open.
Other notable women election hopefuls are Dulciana Somare, the daughter of founding father the late Sir Michael Somare, former Eastern Highlands governor Julie Soso, and former National Alliance general-secretary Joyce Grant.
Julie is contesting the Eastern Highlands regional, a seat she lost in the GE17 to incumbent governor Peter Numu and Joyce is contesting Kiriwina-Goodenough. Both are contesting under the National Alliance party.
Dulciana is a first-timer in Angoram and is representing the United Labour party after she had contested in the East Sepik regional seat in 2017.

Police set up five command centres

POLICE have set up five command centres in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB), Police Commissioner David Manning says.
“One of the centres commenced operations in the weekend,” he said.
He said the centres would receive daily reports of general election-related incidents.
He said the centres would be used as a trial for police during campaign period.
“When the period of polling comes, police should have a robust reporting system in place, giving timely information” he added.
Manning said the national coordination centre had been set up in Morauta Haus in Port Moresby.
“The centres has been staffed by all the relevant agencies comprising the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, Correctional Services and personnel from New Zealand and Australian Defence Force.”

Former commander contesting seat to help youths
Mark Mosinakave with his horse which he rode it onto Unagi Park on Friday as a show of strength that he is contesting the Moresby North-East seat.

FORMER Gordon police station commander Inspector Mark Mosinakave, 46, is contesting the Moresby North-East seat to support youths and address law and order issues.
On Thursday he filed his nomination running under the United Resources Party (URP) banner and on Friday rode in on a white horse at Unagi Oval, the nomination area.
“In the last 20 years of my career as a policeman, the majority of people locked up in cells are youths.
“Deterrence is not the answer to law and order, youths will still continue to resort to crime.
“A lot of them say they steal to survive. I have assisted many of them with money from my own pocket to start up little small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
“All they need is start-up capital to get into the informal sector and make ends meet for themselves.
“I want to unleash their talents in informal sector.
“If the youths can be assisted in this manner we will reduce the crime rates in the cities and urban centres,” he said.
Mosinakave told The National that some of the youths he assisted had now become small businessmen in their communities.
Mosinakave from Banz, Jiwaka, is married with three children and lives at Bomana outside Port Moresby.
Mosinakave was among the 35 candidates who nominated on Thursday.
Nominations are continuing and will end on Thursday.