Women win council seats in Southern Highlands

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday July 29th, 2013

 By PETER ESOP WARI

TWO women have become the first female councillors to be elected in the Nipa local level government in Southern Highlands. 

Glenda Waspen won the council seat for Nipa station ward, while Marlin Morris won the Sumia ward councillor’s seat  in Imbonggu. 

Waspen and Morris also became the first women to break the gender barrier in Nipa and Imbongu, which are typical Highlands areas where women were considered inferior.

“The people have made their choice to elect Glenda Waspen, the new female leader, all we have to do now is wait patiently and see if women can handle job,” Em Hep, a public servant and community leaders, said.

He said men and women were of equal status and such barriers must be destroyed so that people could work together to improve their lives.

Morris, from the lower Mendi LLG in the Imbonggu district, was declared new councillor last week. 

She contested the Sumia ward 1 election against four male candidates.

Meanwhile, two councillors for the Nipa LLG were declared unopposed. 

Hep said Nipa LLG had 39 council wards and 37 wards have been declared successfully without any trouble.

He said the 17 candidates contesting the president’s seat for Nipa LLG were still arguing over a venue for the counting of the ballot papers.

Some opted for Mendi town while others demanded the boxes be counted in Nipa.

Attempts to get comments from the provincial election manager on the matter yesterday were unsuccessful.