Voters told to elect educated leaders

 A youth leader from urban Tari in Hela has called on voters to elect educated people as presidents and councillors.

Timon Henry Heroba from the Kupari council ward in the Tari urban local level government told The National that in the past, many illiterate councillors and presidents were used as puppets by the MPs, resulting in lack of development.

Heroba said he did not want to see the same happening again.

“We want people who can read, write and know better about the government system to be elected in to work with local MPs and bring goods and services into the rural areas,” he said.

He said in the past, illiterate councillors and presidents just “folded their hands and sat like logs” during joint district planning and budget priority committee meetings.

“They only think about their sitting allowance and as a result their local MPs take advantage of it and use the district funds for their own benefit and entertain political cronies,” he said.

“If you make a wrong decision, you will regret it and then complain about your leaders. But this is not their fault because we make the wrong decision at the first place.”