MPCW president blasts Tueng

THE Morobe provincial council of women’s (MPCW) president said last week’s annual general meeting (AGM) was illegal and null and void.
The AGM was held on March 29-31 and chaired by the women’s representative to the Tutumang, Murewe Tueng.
“During this meeting, those present, without a vote of no-confidence, elected a new president,” president Alevi Michael said.
She said she would not step down as president because the meeting was illegal and the results of that meeting were invalid because all the registered members of the council were not present.
Mrs Michael said the meeting was illegal as she was the only person who had the authority to chair the meeting and she was not present at the meeting or made aware of it.
She said Mrs Tueng was one of the three women representatives from MPCW who was hand picked by her and was later appointed by government officials at Tutumang, to be the mouthpiece for the council.
She said Mrs Tueng was not empowered to hold an AGM meeting as this was against the constitution of the council.
She said, under the constitution, the current president must be present to hold the AGM and if she was not able to do so, should appoint some one to represent her.
Mrs Michael was acting on the directions given to her by the provincial legal adviser.
“As representative of the MPCW in Tutumang, Mrs Tueng’s duty is to ensure that the voice of women is heard in Tutumang and to ensure and mandate the MPCW’s constitution,” she said and not to take over the duties that is legally meant for the president of the MPCW.” 
The election of a new president during the AGM meeting held by Mrs Tueng had caused division and confusion among the representatives of the council.
Mrs Michael advised all the representatives of the council that a legal AGM meeting would be held when funds were made available.
She said the MPCW would hold a vote of no-confidence against Mrs Tueng as representative to the Tutumang for being irresponsible and threatening the unity of the council.
Meanwhile, Mrs Tueng said yesterday in response to the comments, that the five-year term for Mrs Michael was up and a new president had to be elected.
She said notifications were given out to all representatives in the nine districts as well as to Mrs Michael about the meeting.