Undialu ready for challenge

KOROBA-Lake Kopiago MP Philip Undialu has welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill that the Hela provincial assembly convene an urgent meeting to elect a governor.
“I welcome the announcement and will present my candidacy to the provincial assembly,” he said.
“I challenge Francis Potape (Komo-Margarima MP) to come with his numbers to overturn the assembly decision on July 5,” Undialu said.
The assembly elected Undialu on that day to be the acting governor. Governor Anderson Agiru died in April.
Undialu said the different views from the Department of Inter-Government Relations and the State Solicitor did not negate the decision of the provincial assembly on July 5.
“The decision of the assembly remains until such time the assembly in its wisdom decides to change or amend it,” he said.
“How can Potape claim to be the governor when a court of law (national court) has already declared his election null and void? It was in light of that court decision on June 14 by Justice Ere Kariko that I got elected on July 5.”
He said the issue of who was the legitimate governor rested with the assembly.