ULP candidates pass away

TWO United Labor Party General Election 2022 (GE22) candidates have died from natural causes even before polling from July 2-22.

Both Willie Kama Kupo (Kundiawa-Gembogl, Chimbu) and Moses Namagileso (Eastern Highlands regional) passed away after their nominations were accepted by the Electoral Commission returning officers.
Kupo, a veteran professional in the oil and gas industry, was Oil Search (now Santos)’s former corporate affairs manager, and Namagileso, 41, was vying for the regional seat for a third consecutive general election.
Kupo, who contested in GE17, had flown back to Port Moresby after filing his nomination papers, and breathed his last at his East Boroko residence two days before the close of nominations on Thursday.
ULP executive Alexander Bohimea Jerry confirmed the passing of the two ULP candidates.
“Their passing is another great loss to ULP after the demise of party leader, deputy prime minister and Bulolo MP Sam Basil,” he said in his Facebook post.
“On behalf of the ULP, we extend our sincere condolences to the immediate family of Kupo and Namagileso.”
Kupo comes from the Simbaiku clan of Kamaneku tribe of Kundiawa-Gembogl.
Namagileso’s cause of death, who is fondly known to the people as “10-kilo”, is still unconfirmed.
Family members reported Namagileso was in good health, and was waiting for the draws of candidates box numbers when he collapsed.
Eastern Highlands elections returning officer Livingstone Mangero confirmed at the draw that Namagileso had passed away.
Mangero excluded his name in the draw.
Namagileso, who repeated grade 10 twice, worked hard to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education majoring in tourism management from the University of Goroka.
He returned among the top 5 for the Eastern Highlands governor’s seat in 2012 and 2017 and was hopeful to win the seat in GE122.
Namagileso hailed from Safayufa village, Unggai-Bena’s Safayufa village in Eastern Highlands.

Wenge runs with promise of financial autonomy

FORMER Morobe governor Luther Wenge is confident he can reclaim the seat he lost in 2012, and help the province gain financial and administrative autonomy.
Wenge, 63, from Samanzing village in Nabak local level government, Nawaeb, said he was positive he would be successful at the election and be able to represent the people of Morobe from its 10 electorates and start the process to make the country’s largest province financially and administratively autonomous.
“My policy is financial and provincial autonomy for the province.”
Wenge said he wanted to ensure that a large portion of the almost K3 billion collected annually from Lae and Morobe through import and export levies, land taxes and income and company tax was kept and used in the province.
“We shall collect these monies and demand that they remain here so we can develop the province,” he said.
“And I think we can win the election on that policy.
“I hope to win the Morobe regional seat and become governor again.”
The former three-term Morobe governor said the province needed him and he had to come back.
He is contesting as a People’s Labour Party candidate under party leader and Madang Governor Peter Yama.

Basil Jr given rousing welcome in Southern Highlands

By PETER WARI
SAM Basil Jr was given a rousing welcome when he visited the remote Kip village in Southern Highlands’ Mendi-Munihu on Saturday.
Basil Jr was nominated by his late father’s United Labor Party (ULP) to defend Bulolo for the party.
He was accompanied by ULP leader Lekwa Gure, Markham MP Koni Iguan, Mendi-Munihu candidate Raphael Tonpi and Nipa-Kutubu candidate Luke Simon Akop.
A two-minute silence was observed by all present in honour of the late deputy prime minister, Sam Basil.
Gure said: “One of our party criteria to endorse candidates is that they must have a house in the village and are community-oriented leaders, not those who live in Port Moresby and only come to their district during general elections.
“They must operate at the grassroots level and have a good relationship with the people.
“And after being elected, if he or she is lucky to be given a ministerial portfolio, they must have an educational background for their exposure at the national level.
“So we want candidates who can represent the people at the district, national and international levels.
“Our leaders must come back to their communities where 80-90 per cent of the people live and visit them regularly and listen to their concerns.”
Gure said ULP believed in good governance and political stability.
He thanked Pangu Pati for not endorsing candidates in Mendi-Munihu and Nipa-Kutubu.
ULP is fielding 61 candidates nationwide to contest in General Election 2022.