URP, Pangu win 5 of 8 EHP open seats

PANGU Party and United Resources Party (URP) won five of the eight open seats in Eastern Highlands in General Election 2022 (GE22).
Pangu candidates declared in the province were former Police Minister John Boito (Obura-Wonenara) and sitting MPs Saki Haki Soloma (Okapa) and Aiye Tambua (Goroka).
Eastern end URP coordinator Bob Urakusie confirmed the party had won Daulo and Lufa seats through Ekime Mek Gorosahu and Simo Kilepa.
“URP won two seats in Eastern Highlands, did well in Unggai-Bena to finish in the top five through Winchlee Oibotee, also in top five for Okapa seat through Daniel J Kinnie and Obura-Wonenara through Dr Ringo Bariana,” he said.
Urakusie said URP did well in Eastern Highlands because he was honest in selecting credible candidates; the selection was based on merit.
“URP endorsed candidates with a good reputation and credibility based on my recommendations,” he said.
The Kainantu and Unggai-Bena seats were won by Independent candidates William Hagahuno and Kinoka Hotune Feo.
Henganofi MP Robert Atiayafa is the only People’s National Congress (PNC) candidate to retain his seat.
The regional seat is the only one pending for conclusion of counting and eventual declaration.
Meanwhile, Gorosahu was declared member for Daulo open in his third attempt for the seat.
“I finished second in both 2012 and in 2017 and promised that this time I must come first, and here I am,” he said,
Gorosahu polled 12,750 votes, runner-up Homate Gimisive polled 10,785 votes the absolute majority was set at 11,767 votes at the 55th exclusion.
He assured the people of Daulo that the election was now over and he would get to the business of delivering basic services.
He thanked election and security officials and everyone that made it possible for Daulo to have a representative to attend Parliament next week.
Kainantu seat winner and private lawyer William Hagahuno was declared at NSI also on Wednesday.
He polled 13,903 votes, runner-up Stanley Kasuwo scored 11,172.
Votes the absolute majority was 12,538 votes.
Hagahuno, an independent candidate, said he had contested five elections just to clean up Kainantu and the town because it seemed that the district lacked leadership.
“I contested for the last five elections and today, the people have spoken, I don’t want to be carried away with many things but to get back to basics, to serve the people of Kainantu,” he said.
Eastern Highlands veteran politician Atiyafa polled 17,568 votes to win, former MP and runner-up Ferrao Orimyio polled 11,973 votes, the absolute majority was 14,771 votes.
Atiyafa described being a politician as a noble profession of serving people, not to create problems but help to set standards for future elections.
He paid tribute to colleagues and prominent leaders who lost their seats in this election.
The final seat to be declared at 6.30pm on Wednesday in Goroka was Okapa where Pangu’s Soloma retained his seat.
He scored 20,933 votes to be declared, the runner-up was Simeon Kibeto with 20, 499 votes.
The absolute majority was 20,717 votes.
Eastern Highlands election manager Steven Gore Kaupa said the last declaration for Okapa concluded the declarations for the province.
“We have got one day to complete eliminations for Regional seat,” Kaupa said.
“I want every counting officials to give full commitments to get it completed before we return the writs on Friday.”