Women’s group backs president-elect

Lae News, Normal
Source:

By DAISY TANOVA PAWA

THE Morobe province council of women’s (MPCW) representatives showed their support for the newly elected executives.
They said they had representatives of the nine districts, churches and non-governmental organisations took to this action yesterday, and expressed their frustration at how the previous president, Alevi Michael, had attempted to tarnish the name of the council’s representative to Tutumang, Murewe Tueng.
They said Mrs Michael “had gone too far by going to the media and could be charged for defamation of character because she had not spoken the truth”.
Newly-elected president Efo Mare spoke on behalf of the council and Mrs Tueng.
She corrected Mrs Michael and said it was her (Mare), who was then vice-president, who called the annual general meeting (AGM) and not Mrs Tueng.
“Mrs Tueng, through Tutumang, only made the funding available for the meeting to take place,” she said. 
Mrs Mare said she called up the meeting in response to the requests of the council’s representatives.
She said the women were frustrated because it had been five years and no AGM had so far been held.
Mrs Mare said an AGM was supposed to take place in March of every year however, that had never occurred under the leadership of Mrs Michael.
She said this was the final year of Mrs Michael term and it was the appropriate time for an election of new executives.
“Several letters were written to Mrs Michael to conduct the election.
“However, she failed to respond or turn up in person.”
After 14 days without a response and according to the constitution of MPCW, Mrs Mare went ahead to chair the meeting in the absence of Mrs Michael.
Meanwhile, the women also alleged that there had been misappropriation of funds and MPCW office properties.
They alleged that a total of K100,000 had not been accounted for and the office properties from computers, fax machines, mobile phones, a fridge and furniture have “gone missing”.
Mrs Mare said she wanted Mrs Michael to attend the meeting so that she could give an explanation of what had become of the money and the office items.