Return Pangu Pati, PM urges voters

By REBECCA KUKU
PRIME Minister James Marape says his Pangu Pati has been around since 1964 and that it is here to stay in Papua New Guinean politics.
“We are fielding 80 candidates nationwide to contest in general election 2022 and we are confident of winning significantly,” he added. Marape, who will be defending Tari-Pori seat, said the supporters’ turnout for Pangu Pati at the nomination centres for Momase, New Guinea Islands, Highlands and the Southern had been “great”.
“I am confident that the return of election writs will follow with an invitation for Pangu Pati to form the new Government,” he added.
Marape, who addressed a crowd in Tari Station last week, called on Papua New Guineans to support and vote for party candidates nationwide.
“Your ballots will decide who forms the Government.
“If you want Pangu to continue and finish what we started, then return us to the 11th Parliament,” he added.

THE party aims to fight corruption

THE Triumph Heritage Empowerment (THE) party will hold hands with other political parties committed to fighting corruption in the country, says party leader and Kandep MP Don Polye.
“We have to cleanse this country of corruption, establish some decency, be true, be honest, be fair and be just in governance and in leadership,” he said.
“That is the kind of mindset from others that THE party would be standing with on the floor of Parliament to form the next government.”
Polye added that THE’s campaign platform and focus for this election was to eradicate corruption and transform the country to ensure it could reach its potential.
He said while completely eradicating corruption was impossible, there were solutions and policies that had to be in place to combat corruption in all its facets.
This would be the new normal for his party – to eradicate corruption.
He said his party was looking to endorse 25 to 35 candidates for the 2022 General Election.
Polye said they would be endorsing only one woman candidate who would be contesting the Alotau open seat.
“She is Limai Valerie Tomali, who was an administrative staff with the party, who is very familiar with the party’s policies and I will be in Alotau to campaign for her,” he said.
He also said in 2012, the party had endorsed three female candidates who won under the party but later moved to join other parties when THE party moved to the Opposition.
“They were Julie Soso, former Eastern Highlands Governor, Loujaya Kouza, former Lae Open MP and Delilah Gore, former Sohe MP and Minister for Community Development.”
All three women lost in the 2017 general election.

Candidates told to be mindful of LPV system

INTENDING candidates should be mindful of the limited preferential voting (LPV) system introduced by the Electoral Commission, an official says.
West New Britain (WNB) provincial returning officer Emily Kelton said candidates needed to consider second and third preferences as well as these would decide eventual winners once the counting and elimination process started.
“Candidates have to be mindful that supporters’ number one votes will not make them win instead through the LPV system the votes of two and three count,” she said.
She urged them to use the LPV system in their campaigns as that would be the system used during the counting period.
Wrapping up day six of nominations yesterday, Kelton said a total of 67 candidates had registered for the province’s four seats – WNB regional, Talasea, Kandrian-Gloucester and Nakani.
“So far 13 have nominated to contest the Nakanai open, 25 for Talasea, 17 for Kandrian-Gloucester 17 and 12 for the regional seat,” she said.
Kelton said only two women have registered so far in the province with one contesting the Talasea open and the other for the regional seat.
The nomination period has seen supporters accompanying their candidates in large numbers with some having traditional dancers performing at the Bernard Vogae Memorial Park.
Kelton said nominations would continue today and would end tomorrow.