MP: 1 of 4 to form govt

By BRADLEY MARIORI
YANGORU-Saussia MP and Peoples’ First Party (PFP) leader Richard Maru believes that only four parties will have the number and one will be called to form government in General Election 2022 (GE22).
Speaking during the campaign rally for his PFP Nawaeb candidate, Theo Pelgen at Back Road in Lae, Maru said either Pangu, Peoples National Congress (PNC), PFP or National Alliance (NA) would be called to form government.
“I believe Pangu, PNC and PFP and, to an extent, NA had the opportunity to have the numbers to be invited to form government,” Maru said.
“Any four of these parties have the opportunity to be invited to form government depending on the number of seats each party wins in this election, so I’m saying any of these parties will make it.
“Just because a party has the highest number, history proves that it doesn’t mean that they are likely to form government.”
Maru said PFP will be a party that could come and might form government and he was confident.
He said with their 32 candidates, he believed they had chosen well and he expected a high number of their candidates coming home.

Genia sets out to reclaim Abau seat

FORMER Abau MP Kilroy Koirobete Genia says there are two reasons why he would like to reclaim the Abau Open seat.
Firstly, he said he had unfinished business of bringing basic government services to the electorate and secondly, he said all of Abau’s services were either nonexistent or dysfunctional.
“During my time as a member, I initiated several impact projects that were of benefit and aid to the people of Abau,” he said.
“The Cape Rodney Rubber project is one of many which was the economic base of Abau back then.”
Kilroy also said that during his term, projects like the KIK (Kokonas Industry Koporesen) were brought to fruition with support of the office of the member.
He said this project would have seen a downstream processing factory built and operated locally in Manabo station and should it had eventuated in 2002 and onwards, it would have supported neighbouring and widespread communities within Cloudy Bay and Abau in providing employment and economic earning opportunities.
“My mission is to revive and rebuild Abau through development.”
Genia, 61, is running under the United Labour Party (ULP) banner.

Rigo people urged to vote leaders, not politicians

AS polling nears, an independent candidate contesting the Rigo Open seat in Central has urged the people of Rigo to vote leaders with the right mindset to bring development and not politicians with greed.
Dickson Guina, a former department secretary for the provincial and local level government affairs, who served for more than 30 years in the public sector, said the district needed change in leadership.
Guina told a crowd last week during a rally staged by PNG Party in Kemabolo village, that Rigo had seen lesser service delivery in the last 46 years.
He said this was because of lack of leadership and poor management.
“Politicians want to survive in the next five years, that’s why they give you handouts but leaders have vision, dream and passion for change,” he said.
“They build the future.”
Guina believed it was time to elect someone who had vast knowledge of how the system operates, hence would bring services to develop Rigo.
Guina, if elected, planned to develop Kwikila station into an economic hub through proper management of the district development authority (DDA) funding (K10 million).
Among other vital services, he also planned to further improve the standard of education in the district.
“I want to make Rigo a model district in the country,” he said.
“I want to make Kwikila station an economic hub.
“I want to transform Kwikila secondary into a school of excellence.”
Equipped with a wealth of knowledge in the public sector, Guina assured the people of Rigo that he was the right man for the top job.

National Party needs numbers

By HELEN TARAWA
The National Party has endorsed three candidates in Northern in the hope of building its numbers to win the election and form government.
Party leader and Sinasina Yongomugl MP Kerenga Kua, who was in Popondeta last weekend, told the people of Oro that the National Party wanted the numbers to get into power and continue the reforms.
The three candidates who were endorsed included Romney Iewago (Popondetta Open), Moses Atade (Sohe Open) and Manson Afuma (Ijivitari).
Kua told The National that his party did not endorse a candidate for the Northern regional seat because Governor Gary Juffa had done an excellent job.
“We need numbers in the party because most politicians are not reformist minded and we want to use that forum to reform laws for effective, productive and better society to improve the quality of life,” he said.
Kua, who had served two terms (2012-17 and 2017-22), was standing for the third time.