O’Neill: Split up bigger electorates

ELECTORATES with big populations should be split up so that everyone can benefit from the government funding allocated to MPs, says former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
O’Neill, who was in Madang on Friday, was told about the proposal by the people of Sumkar that Karkar Island and mainland (Sumgilbar) should become separate electorates.
Addressing the Megiar and Sarang villagers, O’Neill said: “I know the population between Karkar and mainland is big.
“I know that the community here has always wanted to split the electorate. I think that is the way to go.
“And we will support (the proposal) in the next term of parliament so you can have a better representation.
“Why this is important is because of the funding that the district gets.
“One MP cannot provide for everybody (in a densely populated electorate).”
O’Neill, the People’s National Congress (PNC) party leader, told the people that his party’s policies were rural-based with education as the “cornerstone”.
“I am confident that we will form the government (and) will make sure that we do everything possible to ensure that their (rural people’s) future is brighter,” he said.
“I grew up in a village so I know.
“My mother had to struggle in the village to look for school fees to put me through school.
“I didn’t have clothes, no shoes.
“I know the struggles that people are going through.”
PNC candidate for Sumkar Ken Fairweather emphasised the need for more schools in the electorate.
O’Neill also conveyed his condolences to the families of the late Sumkar MP Chris Nangoi, and Madang’s long-time resident and statesman late Sir Peter Barter who passed away in Australia last week.

PNC vows to pay off student loans

By EHEYUC SESERU
THE People’s National Congress party had promised to do away with higher education loan programme (Help), and write off loans already taken by students, if it forms the next government.
Party leader Peter O’Neill said: “We will do away with the system (Help) in September and write off all the student loans.
“We don’t have money to pay for school fees in the first place. So how can students repay those loans?”
He told students who had taken out loans not to worry about repaying them.
“We will write it off,” he said.
Instead, O’Neill said his party would reintroduce the national scholarship (Natscol) programme.
“We will reintroduce the national scholarship which (had) existed for 40 years,” he said.
“We must pay the fees of students attending university, technical, teachers and nursing colleges.”
He said education should be the top priority.
“Almost 60 per cent of our population are youthful – below 25 years,” he said.
O’Neill said his government would recruit young men and women next year to join the police force and army – increasing the numbers for national service.
“It is not new. They did that in the 1960s and 70s,” he said.
“Most of our old people had gone into national service with Australian government. But it was stopped when we had independence.
“Now that our population has increased, the government must intervene to educate, and up-skill our young population.”
O’Neill was campaigning in Lae on Saturday.
He described his presence in Lae with the 10 candidates for the province’s 11 seats as “historic”.
“In respect to late Sam Basil, we haven’t put up a candidate in Bulolo.”

Finschhafen candidates protesting over RO’s appointment

A PETITION from 26 candidates contesting Finschhafen Open seat in Morobe on their choice for the Returning Officer (RO) has been handed over to the Electoral Commission.
They want Esia Batu, who was appointed on May 19, to be retained as the RO.
Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai on June 9 revoked Batu’s appointment and replaced him with Kawage Mesere.
The candidates handed over their petition on Friday to Morobe election manager Simon Soheke in Lae.
A copy was sent to Sinai.
The candidates raised the likelihood of a failed election in Finschhafen if polling and counting were not carried out properly.
Spokesman Ken Zilong said Batu had been involved in the registration of the candidates from May 19 to 26, and if removed, their nominations would become null and void.
“This simply means that there will be no election in the district,” Zilong said.
Morobe election steering committee chairman Kisu Lucas said recommendations for selecting ROs and acting returning officers were made by the election steering committee.
“RO is a position that senior public servants are eligible for, and the committee makes the recommendations to appoint them,” Lucas said.

Official urges polling without disruptions

CANDIDATES, scrutineers and supporters in Eastern Highlands have been told to allow the polling and counting processes to continue without any disruptions.
Provincial elections manager Steven Gore Kaupa sounded the warning after ballot papers for the nine parliamentary seats in the province arrived in Goroka on Thursday.
He said the ballot papers and election materials had been locked up in metal containers and guarded by members of the security forces.
“We will open the containers (when polling starts) in the presence of security forces and scrutineers and distribute then to the electorates before the polling,” he said.
Kaupa said there was limited time given to complete the election process after the end of the campaign period.
Polling is scheduled to begin from Monday. “I strongly call on candidates, scrutineers and supporters not to cause unnecessary problems and frustrate the process, especially the polling and counting,” he said.
Kaupa said the scrutineers of the 389 candidate would be certified after a training.
They will only be allowed to enter the counting centre if they produce a valid scrutineer’s certificate.
Meanwhile, Kaupa also confirmed that Assistant Returning Officers for the 24 local level governments in the province had been appointed by the Electoral Commission.
“The AROs are ready to be deployed into the LLGs and I call for the cooperation between officials, candidates and supporters,” he said.
Kaupa thanked the members of the security force and the Australian Defence Force for their support.