Namah: Not going back to Opposition

By LULU MAGINDE
PNG Party leader and re-elected Vanimo-Green River MP Belden Namah arrived in Port Moresby yesterday vowing: “I will never be in the Opposition again”.
“My plans are still in the infant stage.
“I have not made any contact with anyone or being reached by anyone.
“I am Belden Namah and I am here in the city,” he said.
“I’ve made it very clear, and it is the wish of my people of Vanimo-Green River, that I will never be in the Opposition again.
“We want a good Government this time, one that puts the need of the people first.”
He was declared the winner of his seat on Friday after polling 10,213 votes.
Independent candidate Eric Kowa was second on 8,767 votes and Kelly Masi of the United Labour Party finished third on 4,105 votes.
Namah kept close to his chest his next political move.
But he raised his concern over the widespread and costly election-related violence in the General Election 2022 (GE22).
“I’m really saddened to see that the GE22 did not go well, with some areas having votes rigged,” he said.
“There will be strangers in Parliament (when MPs meet for the first time) because they were not properly elected by the people,” he said.
“To see peaceful Kabwum and Markham in Morobe react that way only (shows) that the GE22 did not go well.”
He said good leaders should prioritise God first, the people second, and themselves last.
“I am proud of my people of Vanimo-Green River and West Sepik. Our election went really well and we went through a true democratic and constitutional process,” he said.
He said Parliament must put in place measures to ensure that in 2027, leaders were elected the proper way, rather than opportunists hijacking the election process.
“I see a lot of innocent lives being lost, just because leaders force their way into parliament.
“I’ve seen it creep into our capital city. People running around with bush knives like they care nothing about lives.
“So sad to see,” he added.
It is his fourth term in parliament, having being first elected in 2007.
He became Opposition Leader in 2011 during the end of the Somare government and the beginning of Peter O’Neill’s reign in 2012.

Mixed-up ballot papers ‘informal’, says official

BALLOT papers for regional or open seats found in the wrong boxes will be considered informal, says Middle Ramu Returning Officer Sucklin Gi.
Gi was commenting on the three boxes from the Simbai local level government which scrutineers wanted set aside as “disputed”.
“About 10 voters from the area mixed up their ballot papers, putting the paper for open into the regional box, paper for regional into the open box, or both papers into the same box,” he said.
“This usually happens and is not a serious issue that requires the boxes to be disputed.”
Gi said the mix-up prompted scrutineers to stop counting temporarily.
“These 10 ballot papers will go into the informal box but we will continue counting the rest of the papers from the boxes,” he said.
The other four local level governments are Simbai, Arabaka, Koron and Josephstal.
“We were (speeding up) counting but with the extension to the return of writs, we’ve slowed down a bit,” he said.
Police Sergeant Nelson Mape thanked the supporters and scrutineers for being well-behaved.
There are two shifts of counting officials.
“For example, Thursday’s night shift worked through to Friday.
“It actually depends on the number of boxes to be counted,” he said.
“This also means that security personnel must be on alert to ensure that the perimeter is secured.
“Whatever rumours of threat received must be taken seriously because the election is a very important national event.”
He urged election officials and scrutineers to be honest in their work and be transparent as possible.

Anyone found with offensive weapon will be arrested: Police

MADANG police say anyone found in possession of an offensive weapon in town will be arrested and locked up.
Madang Quick Reaction Force commander Senior Inspector Robert Baim told police manning checkpoints to enforce this.
“We’ll be doing roadblocks and foot patrols and anyone found with illegal substances or offensive weapons will be arrested immediately and dealt with after the election,” he said.
“Our focus is on the election so investigation into all cases that comes to the police will be on hold until after the issue of writs.
“That means you’ll be waiting for a while in the cell.
“So think before you act during this time.”
Baim said although Madang had been generally quiet with no major confrontation leading into the counting, the joint taskforce members in Madang were taking all precautions in the lead-up to the return of writs on Friday.
He said with Bogia and Usino-Bundi expected to declare their MPs today or tomorrow, all personnel from these counting centres would be pulled into town to beef up security.
“Threats are threats and we take them very seriously, especially if they are to affect human life,” he said.

Police investigate officers meeting with Maru

By GLORIA BAUAI
MADANG police commander acting Superintendent Mazuc Rubiang says investigations are underway to deal with policemen who met People First Party leader and member for Yangoru-Saussia Richard Maru in Madang on Sunday.
This follows a petition by incumbent governor Peter Yama to the Electoral Commissioner on Monday, claiming police were being compromised by providing security.
The petition presented to election manager Sponsa Navi placed Maru, Navi, Rubiang, Usino-Bundi sitting member and three other police personnel at the Hidden Restaurant in Madang.
Rubiang dismissed his involvement as speculation and misleading information.
“I was the first respondent called in by security to manage the situation where Yama had gone in demanding copies of CCTV footage from the restaurant management,” he said.
“It’s very upsetting to hear that I was a party mentioned in this allegations; this is damaging to my reputation and the office I hold.”
Rubiang confirmed that Maru was in town over the weekend and had called his son, a member of the mobile squad 13 from Lae to join him for lunch.
“It was entirely a family meet between a father, mother, their son and his friends.
“Unfortunately, it happened at the wrong time at the wrong place,” Rubiang said.
Maru last night denied the allegations by Yama, saying it was a “fabrication of lies”.