Sawang ready to change district

Main Stories

By JAMIE HARO
NEWLY-elected Rai Coast MP Kessy Sawang says she is ready to transform her district to reach its potential.
She made this remark after arriving in Port Moresby with People’s First party leader and Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru, following her declaration on Tuesday as the second women to be elected in the 11th National Parliament.
“Our journey to transform our district has begun and we will work tirelessly to change a district that has been forgotten,” she said.
She said as with experience in taxation, the district and province needed to have a greater return from two major resource projects in Rai Coast – Ramu Nickel Mine and Ramu Agro-Industry – as they contributed to the national economy.
“The people of Rai Coast have missed out on development for many years, for this election, their votes have spoken, they have decided that they want a new leader and I am grateful for that,” she said.
In addition, Sawang acknowledged the support she had received from her party, family, friends and supporters during the election. “It is not easy for women to get elected to parliament especially to lead the race, however, this has changed because our people have seen that not only men can be leaders,” she said.
The new MP said she would represent the Rai Coast people but also had plans to work closely with newly-elected Central Governor Rufina Peter represent the majority of women and girls on the floor of Parliament.
PFP leader Richard Maru said Sawang’s win saw their numbers improve to three with a fourth expected to join the party soon.
He said this was the most number of winning candidates the party had returned since its establishment.


Dekena wins Gumine seat

Welcome back ‘Songang’ …
From left: Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, Kandep MP Don Polye, Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas and New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan in parliament on Tuesday. Wenge told Parliament that the people of Morobe had given him a retreat for 10 years, before being re-elected as governor in the General Election 2022 (GE22). He said during his time away, the people of Morobe had suffered, which was why he was re-elected. Wenge also said the Government cannot continue to rely on loans. Parliament is expected to resume on Aug 30 at 10am. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

GUMINE MP-elect Lucas Dekena has ended incumbent Nick Kuman’s reign in the Chimbu seat.
The former Gumine MP (2007-2012) appeared to win the 2012 election but was ousted after a recount in 2013 and Kuman, the petitioner, was declared the winner.
He came close at the 2017 General Election when he was declared at Dickson Oval in Kundiawa after signing the writ but his election was deemed invalid and Kuman was able to retain the seat he first held in 2002.
Dekena, 54, has previously served as Minister for Lands and Physical Planning.
He re-contested the seat at this election under the PNG Party and won.


‘Women finding it hard to vote’

WOMEN in Morobe were not always able to vote freely during the General Election 2022, an official says.
Lae District Council of Women president Grace Lama, who was an assistant presiding officer at a polling station in Lae during the polling, said many women had come to her complaining that they did not cast their votes properly because they were disturbed while waiting in lines.
“I was told by some women that when they were in the queue to cast their votes, they were being bumped or stepped on by others.
That has affected the way they cast their votes,” she said.
Lama said some women complained to her that they did not vote the right person that they were planning to because they were being hurried.
She said one way to avoid the confusion and uncertainty was for the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) to provide an up-to-date common roll.
“When the common roll is updated, then we should not stand in lines to cast the votes but we should be sitting down and when our names are called, that is when we go to cast our votes,” she said.


Women leaders need to work together: Dame Josephine

THREE-term Member of Parliament and first woman governor Dame Josephine Abaijah says women politicians need to work together.
Dame Josephine while commending the two women politicians, Central Governor Rufina Peter and Rai Coast MP Kessy Sawang, told The National that they have a special role to play.
“They need support from all the womenfolk throughout the country.
“When women get together, there is always competition.
“Every time women got into politics, we never worked together and we need to change that and have time for our womenfolk.
“We must have a mindset of working together to get another woman into Parliament,” she said.
Dame Josephine contested the Central provincial seat in the 1972 elections, becoming the first woman to win a seat in the House of Assembly, and only the second female legislator in Papua New Guinea.
She was the only woman elected at that time.
“I was asked by the people to contest and had no idea about politics at that time,” she said.
After being elected, she founded and led the Papua Besena movement.
“There were no provinces at that time, I was just Member of Parliament for Central region.
“Papua Besena was strong in Central, late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare brought me to NCD to stand against late Sir Albert Maori Kiki who was a contender for prime minister’s post against him.
“Sir Michael was clever and he told all the Sepiks to vote for me and I was NCD regional member; that was how politics was like at that time,” she said.
She was re-elected in 1977 in the NCD regional seat, but was defeated by Phillip Bouraga in the 1982 elections. She ran unsuccessfully again in 1987 and 1992.
However, Dame Josephine returned to parliament after winning the Milne Bay provincial seat in 1997.